Middlesex hope that AB de Villiers can sign off his initial stint at the club with one final match-winning performance against Surrey in the Vitality Blast on Thursday night.
The South African will return for the quarter-finals and Finals Day in September if Middlesex reach the showpiece for the first time since 2008, when they won the title.
Middlesex are in a strong position, having had four wins from six games, with De Villiers enjoying big knocks against Essex at Lord’s and Somerset at Richmond.
Between those games, the 35-year-old suffered a hand injury in the campaign’s first London derby at the Kia Oval last month.
Middlesex have made just one change to their squad, with Tom Barber coming in for James Harris, who is playing for the second team against Surrey in New Malden.
Surrey’s Sam Curran has been made available by England and they welcome back captain Jade Dernbach. World Cup winner Liam Plunkett (thumb) is still unavailable. Surrey have just one victory from six games and must win tonight and tomorrow against Gloucestershire to have any chances of reaching the quarter-finals.
