SA20 History
The SA20, or Betway SA20 due to sponsorship reasons, is a relatively modern Twenty20 cricket franchise competition from South Africa. It was founded in 2022 by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and is a debut match that took place for the first time in January 2023.
The event was set up to develop a successful T20 league in South Africa, as the Mzansi Super League (MSL) was very unsuccessful in the 2018 and 2019 editions. The SA20 learned from the MSL's shortcomings and secured a broadcasting deal with SuperSport, as well as investment from popular Indian Premier League franchises.
The first season of the SA20 league featured six franchises, including:
- MI Cape Town
- Durban’s Super Giants
- Joburg Super Kings
- Paarl Royals
- Pretoria Capitals
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape
The inaugural season enjoyed high rates of attendance, viewership, and competition. Sunrisers Eastern Cape, captained by Aiden Markram, won the championship match against the Pretoria Capitals and were declared victors.
Currently, the second season of SA20 begins on January 10, 2024. All six franchises from the inaugural season will return, making the game more fascinating than ever. The tournament will finish on February 10, 2024, at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town.
Therefore, in a short period, the SA20 has established itself as one of the best in T20 cricket. With its competitive framework, talented players, and devoted fans, SA20 will undoubtedly prosper in the coming years.
The Organizations
The six clubs face each other twice throughout the group stages of the competition, until the top four teams advance towards the semi-final rounds. Teams acquire players via an auction rather than a draft, which makes it the globe's second cricket association to do so, following the Indian Premier League.
Each club acquires a roster of 17 players and has the option of recruiting up to five players before the auction: three international players, one South African international player, and one inexperienced South African player.
Teams and Cities
All six teams are owned by current Indian Premier League franchise proprietors. We have included a table below with some crucial information about the teams playing in this competition.
| SA20 Quick Information | |||
| SA20 Teams | Home Field | City | Franchise Owner |
| Durban’s Super Giant | Kingsmead | Durban, Kwazulu-Nata | RPSG Group |
| Joburg Super Kings | Wanderers Stadium | Johannesburg, Gauteng | Chennai Super Kings Limited |
| MI Cape Town | Newlands | Cape Town, Western Cape | Reliance Industries LTD |
| Paarl Royals | Boland Park | Paarl, Western Cape | Royals Sports Group |
| Pretoria Capitals | Centurion Park | Pretoria, Gauteng | JSW Group |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | St. Georges Park | Gqeberha, Eastern Cape | Sun TV Network |
1st Season of the Tournament - Highlights
During the 2023 SA20 season, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape were the first team to make it to the throne by defeating the Pretoria Capitals by 4 wickets. Aiden Markham was named the "Player of the Series” due to his consistent brilliance.
Markram's overall performance throughout the season was truly amazing. He dominated the game with his batting, gathering 381 runs at an average of 47.62, featuring two fifties and a magnificent century. His calmness at the wicket was a defining component in his team's crucial victories.
Here are the other players who also dominate their game:
- Rassie van Dussen - a batsman from Paarl Royals, was a magnificent player throughout the SA20 season and also in the Cricket World Cup. He smashed the highest partnership in the inaugural season of SA20 with 214 runs and finished the season with 392 runs.
- Tabraiz Shamsi - The Sunrisers Eastern Cape spinner, who was a batsman's nightmare with the deceptive googlies while taking 16 wickets throughout the tournament, showed to be a valuable asset to his group.
- David Miller -The Pretoria Capitals skipper, was powerful with his bat, scoring 341 runs at a strike average of 161.22, and won numerous matches for his club with spectacular hitting.
We see how these players create a memorable experience for the squad and supporters so that they do not forget the inaugural competition of SA20. We also provide rankings of teams' performances throughout the season; see the table below.
| Rankings (2023 Season) | Teams |
| Champion | Sunrisers Eastern Cape |
| Runner Up | Pretoria Capitals |
| Semi-Finalist | Joburg Super Kings |
| Semi-Finalist | Paarl Royals |
| 5th Place | Durban’s Super Giant |
| 6th Place | MI Cape Town |
Feel the Excitement of SA20 Tournament with BestCricketBettingSite
Cricket talents from both local and international players are expected to leave an impact and provide you with the best opportunity to watch the game. SA20 teams are set to inspire a lot of enthusiasm among cricket fans and punters.
Therefore, don't miss out on the action of all cricket matches by placing your bets at the best cricket betting sites in India, which you can only find here at BestCricketBettingSite.