The mood was grim in the Pretoria Capitals camp at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Monday, January 5, 2026. A heavy defeat to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, punctuated by a brutal assault on their senior spinner, left the dugout in a state of quiet reflection.
A Night of Records and Regret for Keshav Maharaj
Senior pro Keshav Maharaj cut a solitary figure amidst his packing teammates. The left-arm spinner had just endured a torrid time, conceding a staggering 34 runs in a single over to the marauding Jonny Bairstow. This onslaught entered the history books as the most expensive over ever in the SA20 league. Maharaj came perilously close to the unwanted feat of conceding six sixes, narrowly avoiding it when Bairstow hit a four off the fourth delivery.
"Did it look like I went into my shell, just with a four? Yes, of course [was looking to hit six sixes], like when you've got three away and you're thinking, okay, maybe let's try and give it a go," Bairstow admitted in a post-match media interaction. The England batter had launched the first three balls of Maharaj's over for massive sixes, reached his fifty, and then added two more maximums after the boundary.
Bairstow and De Kock's Blistering Partnership
Before that fateful 12th over, Bairstow was playing a steady hand on 45 off 34 balls, while his partner Quinton de Kock was the more aggressive. However, the Maharaj over unleashed Bairstow's 'beast mode'. The pair forged a devastating 177-run partnership at lightning speed, completely dismantling the Capitals' bowling attack and setting up a formidable total.
Around the Capitals' dugout, disappointed faces told the story. Head coach Sourav Ganguly was seen in a deep huddle with the support staff, already analysing the defeat. The usual post-match chatter was replaced by a heavy silence as players packed their gear.
Home Disappointment and Fan Support
Despite the loss, the Pretoria faithful showed tremendous support. Thousands of fans, including many excited children, stayed back for the team's signature post-match fan interaction, queueing up for autographs and photos. This ritual has helped the Capitals build a strong bond with their Centurion crowd.
Maharaj, visibly disappointed, vowed a quick turnaround. "It's very disappointing to get two losses at home in front of a brilliant crowd here. So hopefully come Wednesday, we get back to winning ways, back to the drawing board and back to basics," he said at the post-match presentation.
The comprehensive victory for Sunrisers Eastern Cape was built on the foundation of Bairstow's explosive innings and his record-breaking over against a beleaguered Maharaj, leaving Pretoria Capitals with much to ponder before their next fixture.
