NEW DELHI: Ryan Rickelton produced a breathtaking century for MI Cape Town in the high-scoring SA20 opener against Durban’s Super Giants at Newlands on Friday night, but his efforts went in vain as the hosts went down by 15 runs in a run-fest that saw a combined 449 runs scored.Durban’s Super Giants posted a record 232/5 — the highest total in SA20 history — surpassing the previous best of 204/3 set by Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the Season 2 final at the same venue. The match featured 25 sixes and 40 boundaries, underlining the carnage with the bat.

Chasing the daunting target, Rickelton smashed 113 off 65 balls, an innings studded with 11 sixes and five fours, and came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable chase. One of his maximums, struck off the fourth ball of the 13th over, was caught one-handed by a spectator in the stands, earning the fan a reward of Rand 2 million (approximately INR 1.08 crore) under the SA20’s fan-catch initiative.Earlier, DSG’s all-New Zealand opening pair of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson gave the visitors a flying start, racing to 96 in 8.3 overs. Williamson made 40 off 25 balls before being dismissed by Tristan Luus, with MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan pulling off a sensational running catch at mid-off.Conway carried on to score 64 off 33 balls, while Jos Buttler (20 off 12) and Heinrich Klaasen (22 off 14) maintained the momentum. After Conway fell to Trent Boult, Aiden Markram (35 off 17) and Evan Jones (33 not out off 14) ensured DSG finished strongly.MI Cape Town’s chase revolved around Rickelton, who dominated proceedings despite early setbacks that included the dismissals of Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks. Jason Smith injected fresh hope with a blistering 41 off 14 balls, but DSG struck back in the death overs, removing Smith, Nicholas Pooran (15) and Dwaine Pretorius (5).Rickelton survived on 85 when Kwena Maphaka overstepped, allowing him to complete his second T20 hundred. However, needing 22 off the final over, DSG seamer Ethan Bosch (4/46) held his nerve, dismissing Rickelton to seal a thrilling win.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled India’s Under-19 squads for two major upcoming assignments – U19 tour of South Africa and U19 World Cup 2026. The 14-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been named captain for the three-match ODI series in South Africa starting January 3, while regular skipper Ayush Mhatre is expected to retain the captaincy for the highly anticipated U19 World Cup, that begins on January 15. Notably, the multi-team event will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi set to lead India U19 in South Africa tour

In a move that highlights his meteoric rise, Suryavanshi will lead the Indian side during their brief preparatory tour of South Africa. At just 14 years of age, Suryavanshi becomes the youngest player to ever captain an Indian representative side at this level. The Bihar-born batter, who was recently honoured with Bal Puruskar Award, has been in blistering form. He recently became the youngest centurion in List A cricket history and ended 2025 as India’s leading run-scorer in Youth ODIs. Joining him in the leadership group for the South Africa tour is Aaron George, who will serve as vice-captain.

The South Africa tour is being viewed as a crucial preparatory phase, offering young players exposure to overseas conditions and competitive cricket ahead of the global tournament later in the month.

Also READ: England announces squad for U19 World Cup 2026, Thomas Rew to lead

Ayush Mhatre named India captain for U19 World Cup 2026

The regular leadership duo of Mhatre (captain) and Vihaan Malhotra (vice-captain) is expected to return at U19 World Cup 2026. Both players sustained wrist injuries, which forced them to skip the South Africa tour. The BCCI medical team has opted for a cautious approach, directing the pair to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation.

The U19 tournament will feature 16 teams divided into four groups, followed by the Super Six stage, semi-finals and the final in Harare. Five-time champions India have been drawn in Group B alongside New Zealand, Bangladesh and the USA. The Boys in Blue will begin their campaign against the USA on January 15 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

India’s squad for South Africa tour: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (c), Aaron George (vc), Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan, Yuvraj Gohil, Rahul Kumar

India’s squad for ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026: Ayush Mhatre (c), Vihaan Malhotra (vc), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi, Abhigyan Kundu (wk), Harvansh Singh (wk), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan A. Patel, Mohamed Enaan, Henil Patel, D. Deepesh, Kishan Kumar Singh, Udhav Mohan.

Also READ: Australia name strong squad for U19 World Cup 2026, Oliver Peake to lead

Arrogance is a career killer, according to Cisco’s Sarah Walker, who prioritizes personality and a willingness to learn over experience. She believes humility and continuous development are crucial for advancement at all levels. Walker emphasizes that positive attitude and energy are unteachable qualities, making them invaluable in hiring. Growth potential trumps current skills for success.

A positive attitude might be more valuable than your resume, but there’s one trait that can instantly derail your career prospects at any level: arrogance. Sarah Walker, Cisco’s UK and Ireland managing director who spent 25 years climbing the corporate ladder at BT before joining the tech giant, has identified this as her biggest hiring red flag—and warns that resting on past achievements won’t cut it in today’s workplace.“I can’t stand arrogance. Be confident, but have a level of humility,” Walker told Fortune. While she actively seeks out candidates with positive attitudes, engagement, and energy—qualities she believes can’t be taught—excessive ego remains an instant dealbreaker regardless of experience level.

Why personality beats skills and experience in hiring process

Walker’s hiring philosophy prioritizes personality over pedigree, especially for entry-level positions. “It’s more about the person first and foremost than it is about skills or experience,” she explained. The 45-year-old executive believes that while technical abilities become increasingly important in specialist roles, someone with the right attitude and willingness to learn can still secure a position over more experienced candidates.“You don’t need to be the finished article to be promoted, but we need to know that you are in a position where within a reasonable timeframe, you’ll have invested the time to upskill and develop,” Walker added, emphasizing that growth potential matters more than current capabilities.

Humility and continuous learning essential for career growth

Walker’s anti-arrogance stance applies equally to senior positions. “You can’t rest on your laurels because you’ve done something well in the past, you need to be thinking about what’s the next great thing that you’ll do,” she stressed. “Even at my level, you have to be open to the fact that there’s lots more yet to learn and grow and adapt.”This philosophy aligns with her Cisco predecessor David Meads, who told Fortune that “EQ is at least as important as IQ” when evaluating talent, noting he sees “no difference in terms of the capability” between candidates with or without degrees.

A major natural gas pipeline explosion in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday prompted authorities to issue shelter-in-place orders and temporarily shut down a key Southern California highway, officials said.The incident occurred around 4.20 pm local time near Ridge Route Road and Pine Crest Place in Castaic, close to the southbound lanes of Interstate 5, a critical route linking Southern and Northern California. The damaged pipeline is a 34-inch transmission gas line, located just east of the freeway.

Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Brian Kight said emergency crews received multiple calls reporting the gas leak. While residents described loud noises, Kight stressed that “there were no reports of any explosions from the leak and no reported injuries,” the Los Angeles Times reported.Videos shared on social media showed orange plumes rising from a hillside, which appeared to have partially collapsed, with debris clouds filling the sky.Several residents said they heard loud booms, while NBC 7 San Diego reported that people across the Santa Clarita Valley felt their homes shake. One witness described a “strong sulfur smell and a loud noise resembling a jet engine,” the outlet added.At L.A. County Fire Department Station 149, located about a mile away, Kight said he could smell gas from “20 minutes out.” The Los Angeles City Fire Department also received reports of a strong rotten egg smell from residents as far away as the north San Fernando Valley.In response, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) closed all lanes of Interstate 5 at 5.12 pm, diverting northbound traffic to State Route 126 and southbound vehicles to State Route 138. Traffic came to a near standstill for miles, leaving motorists stranded for hours, the Los Angeles Times reported.A shelter-in-place order was issued at 5.40 pm that covered much of Castaic. Authorities advised residents to close doors and windows, shut off vents, and turn off HVAC systems.By 6 pm, the gas company had shut off both sides of the ruptured line, though firefighters and a hazardous materials task force continued monitoring a residual leak. The CHP announced shortly before 9 pm that Interstate 5 had reopened.The cause of the rupture remains under investigation. While officials said it is unclear what triggered the incident, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies told CBS Los Angeles that it was possibly caused by “a mudslide.”More details awaited.

Allah Ghazanfar for MI Emirates in action

MI Emirates secured a top-two finish with a dominant eight-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Saturday, booking a Qualifier 1 showdown against Desert Vipers on Tuesday. Skipper Kieron Pollard led from the front with an unbeaten 44, peppered with five sixes, as MI Emirates made light work of the chase.Earlier, the MI Emirates bowlers, led by young spinner Allah Ghazanfar (3/28) and Shakib Al Hasan (1/11), strangled the Capitals to 122/8. Consistent pressure through the middle overs left Dubai struggling to gain momentum despite a brief cameo from James Neesham.

Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Chasing a modest target, openers Muhammad Waseem and Andre Fletcher provided early impetus before Pollard and Tom Banton calmly steered the innings. Pollard’s decisive assault on Waqar Salamkheil in the 14th over, which yielded 30 runs, effectively sealed the contest. The chase was completed comfortably, with Pollard and Banton adding an unbeaten 67-run stand.

Tom Banton and Kieron Pollard of MI Emirates during Match 29 of the World ILT20 between the MI Emirates and the Dubai Capitals

The result also confirmed that the winner of Sunday’s league finale between Gulf Giants and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders will meet Dubai Capitals in the Eliminator on January 1.Player of the match Allah Ghazanfar said, “I bowled with the same confidence and stayed true to my plans. As a finger spinner, executing variations isn’t easy, but the work I put in behind the scenes really pays off. On the caught-and-bowled dismissal, I knew there was a chance I could be hit for six, but I backed my best delivery, stayed committed, and it created the opportunity.”

Haider Ali of Dubai Capitals bowls during Match 29 of the World ILT20 between the MI Emirates and the Dubai Capitals

Dubai Capitals skipper Mohammad Nabi said, “We didn’t put enough runs on the board on this surface, and credit to the MI Emirates — they bowled very well. As a bowling unit, we gave it our best, but Pollard took the game away from us. The conditions in Dubai suit us, and hopefully we can bounce back with a strong performance in the next match.”

Brief ScoresDubai Capitals: 122/8 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 22 not out, James Neesham 21, Shayan Jahangir 17; Allah Ghazanfar 3/28, Shakib Al Hasan 1/11)MI Emirates: 126/2 in 16.4 overs (Kieron Pollard 44 not out, Tom Banton 28 not out, Muhammad Waseem 27; Haider Ali 1/14)

Did an OTT hit leave you feeling the pull of northeastern India? You’re not alone. A growing number of travellers are turning that screen-inspired wanderlust into real journeys, as the country’s entertainment and travel trends intersect. According to an ixigo report, popular OTT series are now playing a clear role in nudging travellers towards the Northeast. According to the travel booking platform, destinations such as Imphal, Dimapur and Agartala saw a sharp rise in flight bookings over the year, coinciding with the release of popular shows that featured the region prominently. These series include: The Family Man (Season 3), Paatal Lok (Season 2) and Delhi Crime (Season 3). The OTT hits have brought the northeast’s landscapes and cultural depth to mainstream audiences, triggering interest in places that have traditionally remained off the tourist radar, PTI reported. This interest translated into travel demand in 2025. Ixigo reported strong year-on-year growth in flight bookings to several northeastern cities, including Dimapur, Agartala, Guwahati, Imphal and Itanagar. The trend was also highlighted in ixigo’s The Great Indian Travel Index 2025, which noted a significant surge in bookings to key cities across the region, reinforcing the growing influence of screen exposure on travel choices. The report also revealed broader shifts in Indian travel behaviour during the year. Internationally, Japan and South Korea emerged as the most-booked destinations for Indian travellers on ixigo in 2025. A wider preference for East and Southeast Asia was evident, with Vietnam and Thailand gaining popularity alongside steady demand for Sri Lanka and Indonesia. At the same time, destinations beyond Asia, including Oman, Kenya, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Uzbekistan and Qatar, also saw rising interest, reflecting an appetite for newer and less conventional global destinations. Domestically, spiritual tourism recorded a strong upswing, driven largely by younger travellers. Maha Kumbh-related travel led to a spike in bookings to Prayagraj, with Gen Z bus bookings jumping nearly 20 times year-on-year. The intensity of demand during the Kumbh period was underscored by the most expensive domestic flight booked on ixigo in 2025, a Mumbai–Prayagraj ticket costing Rs 92,644. Commenting on the findings, Aloke Bajpai, Group CEO, and Rajnish Kumar, Group Co-CEO, ixigo, said, “What truly stood out in The Great Indian Travel Index 2025 was the scale and diversity of travel demand across the country. Faith-led travel emerged as a powerful driver, with destinations like Varanasi alone witnessing nearly 147 million visits in 2025. At the same time, rising disposable incomes and better connectivity are helping expand the travel ecosystem beyond existing travellers”. They further noted, “We’re also seeing Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities increasingly shape India’s travel narrative.” Cities like Rishikesh, Indore, Nagpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, and Assam are driving strong demand across flights, trains, and buses, with several metro-to-emerging city bus routes experiencing YoY growth of nearly 80%. “Together, these trends reflect how travel in India is deeply rooted in culture, belief, and aspiration, cutting across age groups, geographies, and travel modes”.

Based on reports that US tech majors, including Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix, Google, added 32,000 employees in India, social media influencers concluded that the H-1B crackdown has actually backfired and instead of creating more jobs for Americans, these jobs actually exited America as big companies offshored these jobs to India. The figure has been reached according to data from Xpheno, a specialist staffing firm. The link between the visa fee and the offshoring of the jobs can be a little stretched as all these big tech majors can easily pay the $100,000 H-1B fee.

“As US H-1B visa rules tightened this year with higher fees and wage requirements, Big Tech responded predictably: they hired offshore instead. Meta, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and Google pushed their combined India workforce to 214,000, the fastest growth in three years. That’s 32,000+ new hires that could have gone to Americans. These aren’t call center jobs. They’re AI, machine learning, cloud engineering, data science, and cybersecurity roles,” entrepreneur and podcast host Mario Nawfal posted. “The irony is brutal: visa curbs designed to prioritize American workers just made it cheaper and easier for corporations to offshore the same jobs remotely. No visa required. No wage floor. No American hired. This is the loophole nobody closed. You can restrict who comes here to work. You can’t restrict who works from there. Until policy addresses corporate offshoring directly, companies will keep doing the math and choosing the cheaper option overseas. American workers keep losing,” Nawfal wrote. Another influencer James Blunt commented that he got to know about this offshoring directly from the executives who confirmed that they moved towards offshoring because of the uncertainty in the administration’s visa rules. “I’m hearing this directly from executives, the uncertainty was the final shove. Offshoring offers certainty + scalability and zero U.S. regulatory risk. If the goal was to keep jobs in America, this did the opposite,” James Blunt wrote.

3 big H-1B changes introduced by Trump administration in 2025

The SA20 2026 will deliver an immediate blockbuster rematch on Sunday as Durban’s Super Giants host MI Cape Town at Kingsmead. Thee two sides kicked off the tournament just days ago in Cape Town, producing a high-scoring thriller that set an electrifying standard for the 2025-26 season.

In that curtain-raiser, the Super Giants were imperious with the bat. A masterclass in foundation-laying from Devon Conway and Kane Williamson allowed the middle order, led by Aiden Markram and Evan Jones, to explode late and post a mammoth 232/5.

MI Cape Town’s response was equally ferocious. Ryan Rickelton played a blinding knock, smashing a breathtaking century that threatened to steal the game away, supported by a spirited cameo from Jason Smith. However, the pressure of the massive chase eventually took its toll. Despite being in the hunt until the dying moments, critical wickets saw MI Cape Town fall just 15 runs short.

Now, the scene shifts to Durban. With the wounds of that narrow defeat still fresh, MI Cape Town will be desperate to flip the script on enemy territory, while the Super Giants look to prove their opening win was no fluke.

DSG vs MICT, SA20 2026: Match details

• Date and Time: December 28; 7:00 pm IST / 1:30 pm GMT / 3:30 pm Local
• Venue: Kingsmead, Durban

DSG vs MICT Head-to-Head Record in SA20 

Matches played: 07 | Durban’s Super Giants won: 05 | MI Cape Town won: 01 | No result/Tied: 01

Kingsmead Pitch Report

Kingsmead has a reputation for being a bit of a grind for batters; don’t expect a flat highway where one can just hit through the line effortlessly. The golden window for scoring is definitely against the new ball while it’s still hard. Once that shine wears off, the pitch tends to slow down, offering plenty of grip for the spinners to dictate terms in the middle overs.

Given these conditions, scoreboard pressure is king here. The average first-innings score sits at a gritty 143, suggesting that the captain winning the toss will almost certainly look to bat first, put runs on the board, and let their slow bowlers squeeze the opposition in the chase.

Squads

Durban’s Super Giants: Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Evan Jones, David Wiese, Eathan Bosch, Simon Harmer, Kwena Maphaka, Noor Ahmad, Sunil Narine, Taijul Islam, Dayyaan Galiem, Daryn Dupavillon, Tony de Zorzi, Marques Ackerman, Gerald Coetzee, David Bedingham, Andile Simelane, Gysbert Wege

MI Cape Town: Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Jason Smith, Nicholas Pooran, Dwaine Pretorius, George Linde, Rashid Khan (c), Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Tristan Luus, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tom Moores, Karim Janat, Thomas Kaber, Jacques Snyman, Tiaan van Vuuren, Daniel Lategan

Also READ: SA20 2026 – Full list of commentators and presenters at South Africa’s explosive T20 cricket league

DSG vs MICT, SA20 2026: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Durban’s Super Giants wins the toss and bats first
• Durban’s Super Giants’ powerplay score: 50-60
• Durban’s Super Giants’ total score: 170-180

Case 2:

• MI Cape Town wins the toss and bats first
• MI Cape Town’s powerplay score: 40-50
• MI Cape Town’s total score: 160-170

Match result: Team batting first to win the contest.

Also READ: IND-W vs SL-W, 4th T20I Match Prediction- Who will win today’s game between India Women and Sri Lanka Women?