PRESSURE has no exceptions. Wednesday night every single player that will take to the field at SuperSport Park where Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape will play the eliminator, will feel it.
Perhaps, what will separate players who will do well for their team is their perspective and understanding of pressure.
Perhaps for the younger players, pressure might be a crippling sensation and mindset. But for experienced players with BMT, such as Faf du Plessis, pressure is a privilege and a necessary fuel to enhance performance.
Whatever happens on Wednesday, how pressure is perceived and handled will decide which team will be playing its last SA20 game of the season and which will play the second qualifier at the same venue omn Thursday.
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"If you've played as many games of cricket as I have, you understand that pressure is a privilege. We call it an entry fee that you pay for a special occasion," Du Plessis told the media on Tuesday.
"If you're not nervous, then there's something wrong with you. Butterflies are a part of the feeling, I love that feeling of playing cricket feeling there's something in the match.
"No doubt there'll be some of the younger boys tomorrow that will feel like it's a bigger occasion but for me, it's still a game where you have to make sure you do the basics really well and that will be the plan Wednesday, how well you can do the basics for longer."
Centurion will host the repeat of the 2023 SA20 second semi-final. This time around, the contest will be under a different banner as the knockout stage of the tournament has undergone a slight makeover over the past two years.
Despite the slight change in structure, the stakes remain the same as one of the two teams will be knocked out of the tournament tonight.
Being the victors two years ago courtesy of Aiden Markram's first and last T20 century, the SEC will fancy their chances tonight against Faf du Plessis Super Kings. However, Du Plessis has much more important things to think about than worrying about what happened two years ago as the Super Kings lost Donovan Ferreira due to an injury.
"I did think about it when I saw the fixture but to be honest right now I'm just trying to think of the eleven players to get on the park," said Du Plessis.
"That's the biggest concern for us at the moment but it's a great opportunity. What happened then, on that day, we got outplayed by a special knock which was a great innings from Aiden so, hopefully, it's a little bit different this time around."
Ferreira became the sixth bowling option that is ruled out this season for the Super Giants after the side lost Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Beuran Hendricks, Gerald Coetzee and David Wiese.
Du Plessis explained just how the injuries have affected their campaign, highlighting the balance of the team as the biggest subsequent challenge.
Ferreira's injury came after the player had smashed a match-winning 51 off 22 against Durban's Super Giants on Saturday.
"Unfortunately, Donovan is also injured. So, it adds to the list of players. Not great especially in terms of balance. That's been the biggest challenge for us this season," said Du Plessis.
"Every injury makes such a big difference to the balance of the team. One injury brings two changes here and three changes there. With the ball this here, he's been particularly good for us, offensively and defensively he's been a trump card for me and a golden arm.
"So, we're going to miss his overs and especially after a knock like the other night for his confidence. We know what he has in his skillsets as a batsman.
"If he was honest he would have probably said he would've liked to do a little bit more this season. But when you see him bat like that, then you know the capabilities that he has as a player. It's a big loss. So far every injury you feel the weight of the injury."
The match will get underway at 5.30pm at SuperSport Park in Centurion.