TAKASHINGA Patriots 2 will be hoping to emulate their sister club Patriots 1 when they contest in the National Premier League T20 Blast after the latter won the 45 overs version of the league.
Patriots 2 boasts of explosive stars in the mould of the 2023/2024 NPL T20 Blast batsman and player of the tournament, Antum Naqvi, Cephas Zhuwao, skipper Knowledge Kaia, his deputy Daichi Nyandoro and seamer-cum-all-rounder Faraz Akram among a galaxy of stars.
It, however, will not be an easy walk to freedom for Takashinga Patriots 2. They have to be at their best to emulate their senior side, retain the NPL T20 Blast, and underline their dominance as the country's biggest club not only in terms of existence, but accolades-wise and success.
Patriots 1 captain Roy Kaia, a veteran of three NPL titles, two of them uninterrupted in 2023 and 2024, shares his recipe for success.
"It's quite a huge achievement winning the NPL thrice and two of those back-to-back. It only shows the hunger for success within our team. You don't get to be this successful if you don't have the backup of your players so this is for them," Kaia told Standard Sport.
"The just-ended season came with its fair share of challenges. We lost a number of our experienced cadres who were away on national duty, but the guys managed to hold the fort and deliver the goods under the stewardship of the team's trusted lieutenant, Timycen Maruma. "He did an excellent job as the stand-in captain so credit to him."
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Kaia warned Patriots 2 of the dangers ahead, given the competition in the tournament this season, adding that they have to put in the hard yards if they are to defend their crown.
"First and foremost, they have to understand that Patriots 1 are also vying for the same crown, so they have their brothers to contain first before we can take off the external forces," he added.
"Then we have able contenders in new boys SOGO Rangers, perennial rivals Gladiators, the unpredictable Westside, and in fact, every team that has qualified for the NPL T20 Blast has the potential to cause upsets on any given day, so Patriots 2 won't have it easy this season."
Patriots 2 captain Knowledge agreed with his younger sibling on the need to fight tooth and nail to defend the championship.
"All eyes are on us; we are the team to beat, and such, we need to be clinical about the way we conduct our business," the knowledgeable Kaia said.
"We have the Cup tucked nicely in our trophy cabinet, so we won't let it slip. We are confident that with the arsenal we have, we are going to defend our title."
The 2024/2025 NPL T20 Blast gets underway from August 27 to September 7 with eight teams vying for the crown. These are the two Takashinga sides, Patriots 1 and 2, Westside, Gladiators Rainbow, SOGO Rangers, Queens and Mbizo.
The games will be played across three venues in the capital; Harare Sports Club, Old Hararians and Takashinga Cricket Club.