sa20-web-st

Picture Credit: Twitter

After IPL, Big Bash League, Hundred, Cricket South Africa's SA20 is set to get underway next year. According to fresh reports, the highly anticipated T20 league is all set to kickstart on January 10, 2023. The six-franchises affair had recently conducted its maiden player's auction, where six franchises engaged in a bidding war to acquire the services of the greats of the format. 

The six groups which have acquired rights to own and operate teams in South Africa T20 League have rich experience in franchise cricket as they all own teams in the Indian Premier League. Reliance Industries Ltd, which owns the most successful franchise in Indian Premier League, Mumbai franchise has fielded MI Cape Town in SA T20 League, Durban Super Giants has been acquired by RPSG Sports Pvt. Ltd. (Lucknow Super Giants), Sunrisers Eastern Cape - Sun TV Network Ltd. (SunRisers Hyderabad), Johannesburg Super Kings - Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd and Paarl Royals - Royals Sports Group (Rajasthan Royals). 

Speaking of the player's auction, Tristan Stubbs attracted the highest bid of 9.2 million in South African currency (Sunrisers Eastern Capital, followed by Rilee Rossouw – 6.9m (Pretoria Capitals), and Marco Jansen – 6.1m (Sunrisers Eastern Cape). Notably, all six teams were permitted to pick as many as five players in the pre-auction draft for the inaugural edition of the South Africa T20 League. 

In the much-awaited competition, 33-matches are scheduled to take place, with the first match to be played on January 10. All teams will play twice in the league stage, followed by two semi-finals and the finals.

Notably, former Cricket South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been appointed as the league's commissioner. Cricket South Africa has confirmed that Smith will be in charge of 'both cricketing and non-cricketing aspects of the tournament.'