'I can't wait to be on the same field as Sacha,' says rising Stormers star Imad Khan

It could be the fabled arrogance of youth or simple youthful exuberance, but Stormers scrumhalf Imad Khan is happy to play rugby all year round when older campaigners are wistfully remembering when summer was for cricket, and winter was rugby’s domain.

Speaking of cricket, Khan, or “Immy” to his mates, was the star of the show when the Stormers took on MI Cape Town on Thursday in a fun curtain-raiser to the imminent SA20 tournament.

Khan, a star of the Junior Springbok team that won the World U20 Championship earlier this year, proved to be as swashbuckling a batsman as he is the lively scrumhalf who scored a try on his Champions Cup debut a few weeks back.

At school, Khan was part of a powerhouse Bishops side that also included Suleiman Hartzenberg, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Connor Evans, who have gone on to play feature for Western Province and the Stormers.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, of course, has risen much further and finished 2025 with many critics regarding him as the best player on the planet.

“My whole school career — from primary to high school — I was a year below Sacha, so it is cool to reunite and, beyond the field, there are a lot of memories we share,” Khan said from Newlands. “It would be amazing to be on the field at the same time as Sacha. He has been doing incredible things, and we are very happy for him.

“Then we have a guy like Cobus (Reinach) joining the Stormers — we have seen what he has done for the Boks, so having him here is amazing. I must just keep learning from these guys and push to play good rugby.”

The fresh-faced Khan is like a breath of fresh air. He has that invincibility that comes of being 22 years old and with a highly promising career stretching before him.

“It is an amazing time of the year, and I think everyone wants to be in Cape Town,” Khan beamed. “The Stormers have some great games lined up, as do MI Cape Town, so I urge everyone to come out and support us. There is no better place to be in December and January than Cape Town.

“I personally don’t mind playing rugby all year round. It is about managing your body and following the right protocols regarding time on the field. I want to play as much rugby as possible, but I am sure we appreciate time off. However, for me, the main thing is to be on the field as much as possible.”

The Stormers have had a soaring start to the season and are yet to lose a match. Khan sheds some light on what the Stormers are getting right.

“It is the work ethic. We are all hungry for some victories. The secret is to play for something bigger than all of us. It is awesome to represent Cape Town,” he explained.

The Stormers are at last at home on Saturday, and a vast festive season crowd is expected for the local derby with the Lions (kick-off 3.30pm).

“SA derbies are massive, and we know that the Lions are a dangerous team,” Khan warned. “As usual, we expect a lot of fight from the Lions, so we will come out with a lot of that. We will respect the game and respect our opponents because SA Derbies are special.”