Cricket
Lights, Cameras, Action: SA20 set to start with bang─── MORGAN PIEK 07:45 Fri, 26 Dec 2025
The stage is set for the fourth edition of the SA20 to burst into life on Friday, with defending champions MI Cape Town and the Durban Super Giants going head-to-head in the shadow of Table Mountain in a mouth-watering opening clash.
With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka looming in February 2026, this marks the earliest-ever start to the SA20. But with South Africans still firmly in festive-season mode, the country’s flagship T20 competition is expected to hit the ground running, and in spectacular fashion.
MI Cape Town skipper Rashid Khan believes his side will approach the new campaign with a sense of freedom after finally shedding their early-tournament struggles to lift the trophy last season.
“There was more pressure last year than this year,” said Khan. “We finished bottom twice in a row, and to come back from that and win the trophy was a massive thing for us as a team.
“I think what we did right was playing collectively and taking responsibility at key moments in the game. Every player is experienced and will adjust to the conditions and their role in the team quite quickly.
“Everyone is very professional. They’ve played cricket all over the world, so I don’t think it will be difficult for them to acclimatise.”
The Durban Super Giants, meanwhile, arrive in Cape Town looking very different from previous seasons. They will be led by former Proteas T20 captain Aiden Markram, a man who knows a thing or two about winning this competition after guiding Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles in the first two editions.
DSG boast a formidable squad packed with star power, including Gerald Coetzee, Kane Williamson, Heinrich Klaasen, Jos Buttler, Devon Conway, and Tony de Zorzi. Adding further depth, Simon Harmer linked up with the side just days ago as an injury replacement for West Indies spinner Sunil Narine.
Markram is pleased with the balance within his group but is under no illusions about the challenge ahead.
Kagiso Rabada and Corbin Bosch. Photo: Cricinfo
“There’s a really nice balance in the set-up, and we have a good group of guys,” said Markram. “We’ve got some strong all-rounders mixed with two or three world-class players, the likes of Buttler, Klaasen, and the rest.
“A lot of it comes down to finding our strengths as a team, our identity, and what gives us the best chance to play good cricket and win games. It’s a new and exciting challenge for us in a competition with plenty of fresh faces.”
Friday’s eagerly anticipated SA20 opener between MI Cape Town and the Durban Super Giants will be played at the iconic Newlands in Cape Town, with the first ball set to be bowled at 17:30.
