 | |
| Countries | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Cricket South Africa |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2023 |
| Latest edition | 2026 |
| Next edition | 2027 |
| Tournament format | Double round-robin and playoffs |
| Number of teams | 6 |
| Current champion | Sunrisers Eastern Cape (3rd title) |
| Most successful | Sunrisers Eastern Cape (3 titles) |
| Most runs | Ryan Rickelton (1,349) |
| Most wickets | Ottniel Baartman (61) |
| TV | South Africa: SuperSport International: See list |
| Website | sa20 |
 2026 SA20 | |
| Seasons |
|---|
The SA20, also known as the Betway SA20 for sponsorship reasons, is a Twenty20 franchise cricket tournament in South Africa, organised by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and first contested during the 2023 season.[1][2] It is contested by six teams based in cities around the country.[3][4] Sunrisers Eastern Cape have won three of the first four editions of the tournament, with MI Cape Town winning the third season. The primary sponsor is Betway, sponsoring the league since it launched.
History
Cricket South Africa established the franchise T20 Global League in 2017. The inaugural season was deferred by a year due to the lack of a broadcast deal and title sponsor and in June 2018 was replaced by the Mzansi Super League, a league featuring six CSA-owned teams.[5] It did not become a huge success.[6] The MSL ran for only two seasons, the 2020 and 2021 editions being cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SA20 was established by CSA in 2022 through a newly formed entity, Africa Cricket Development (Pty) Limited (ACD). CSA is the majority stakeholder in ACD with a 50% share, while broadcaster SuperSport has a 30% share and former Indian Premier League (IPL) Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman, the remaining 20%.[7] All six of the teams were bought by franchises from the IPL.[8] In July 2022, CSA announced that the One Day International series against Australia due to be played in January 2023 would be cancelled in order for SA20 to go ahead.[9]
In August 2022, Graeme Smith was announced as the commissioner for the tournament.[10] Later in the month, the marquee players for the first season were announced.[3]
In December 2023 Cricket South Africa announced that it would send a makeshift Test team, comprising players with little or no Test cricket experience, to its scheduled two-Test tour of New Zealand in February 2024, to allow its best players to remain in South Africa to compete in the SA20. The decision was widely criticised.[11][12] In January 2025, Cricket South Africa announced the windows for the competition for 2026, 2027, and 2028.[13][14]
Organisation
The six teams play each other twice in the group stages of the competition before the top four teams move to the playoffs stage.[15]
Teams acquire players through an auction as opposed to a draft, making it the third cricket league in the world after the Indian Premier League and International League T20 to do so. Each team purchases a squad of 17 players, with the opportunity of signing up to five players prior to the auction: three international players; one South African international player; and one uncapped South African player.[16][17]
Prize money
Cricket South Africa increased the prize money for the SA20 in 2024 to a total of $890,000 . The prize money is split between the teams as follows:[18][19]
The total prize money in the SA20 is R70 million.
Trophy
The trophy for the Betway T20 was unveiled in January 2023. The 24-carat gold and silver-plated trophy was designed and made by British silverware manufacturers Thomas Lyte.[20] It features six handles, representing league’s six founding franchises, with the tournament's logo engraved on the front of the trophy.[21]
Teams
The six teams are all owned by existing Indian Premier League franchise owners.[22]
Tournament season and results
Finals
| Year | Final | Final venue | Player of the season | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Result | Runner-up | |||
| 2023 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape 137/6 (16.2 overs) |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 4 wickets Scorecard |
Pretoria Capitals 135 (19.3 overs) |
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Aiden Markram (SEC) |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape 204/3 (20 overs) |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 89 runs Scorecard |
Durban's Super Giants 115 (17 overs) |
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | Heinrich Klaasen (DSG) |
| 2025 | MI Cape Town 181/8 (20 overs) |
MI Cape Town won by 76 runs Scorecard |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape 105 (18.4 overs) |
Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Marco Jansen (SEC) |
| 2026 | Sunrisers Eastern Cape 162/4 (19.2 overs) |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape won by 6 wickets Scorecard |
Pretoria Capitals 158/7 (20 overs) |
Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town | Quinton de Kock (SEC) |
Number of titles
| Team | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up | No. of playoffs played |
No. of seasons played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | 3 (2023, 2024, 2026) | 1 (2025) | 4 | 4 |
| MI Cape Town | 1 (2025) | 1 | 4 | |
| Pretoria Capitals | 2 (2023, 2026) | 2 | 4 | |
| Durban's Super Giants | 1 (2024) | 1 | 4 | |
| Joburg Super Kings | 3 | 4 | ||
| Paarl Royals | 3 | 4 |
Team performances
| Season | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban's Super Giants | 5th | RU | 6th | 5th |
| Joburg Super Kings | SF | 3rd | 4th | 4th |
| MI Cape Town | 6th | 6th | C | 6th |
| Paarl Royals | SF | 4th | 3rd | 3rd |
| Pretoria Capitals | RU | 5th | 5th | RU |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | C | C | RU | C |
- C: Champions
- RU: Runner-up
- 3rd: Team won the 3rd place playoff
- 4th: Team lost the 3rd place playoff
- SF: Team qualified for the semi-final of the competition
Position of teams in SA20
| Year | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | PC (R) | JSK | SEC (C) | PR | DSG | MICT |
| 2024 | SEC (C) | DSG (R) | PR | JSK | PC | MICT |
| 2025 | MICT (C) | PR | SEC (R) | JSK | PC | DSG |
| 2026 | SEC (C) | PC (R) | PR | JSK | DSG | MICT |
- indicates qualified for playoffs
- (C) = Eventual champion; (R) = Runner-up
All time standings
| Team | Appearances | Best result | Statistics | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | First | Latest | Played | Won | Lost | Tied+W | Tied+L | NR | Win% | ||
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Champions (2023, 2024, 2026) | 36 | 22 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 62.85 |
| MI Cape Town | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Champions (2025) | 32 | 15 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 48.38 |
| Pretoria Capitals | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Runners-up (2023, 2026) | 32 | 13 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 44.82 |
| Durban's Super Giants | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Runners-up (2024) | 33 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 46.66 |
| Paarl Royals | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Qualifier 2 (2024, 2026) | 34 | 16 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 48.48 |
| Joburg Super Kings | 4 | 2023 | 2026 | Qualifier 2 (2024) | 33 | 14 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 46.66 |
Records and statistics
| Batting records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Most runs | Ryan Rickelton | 1,349 |
| Highest score | Shai Hope | 118* vs Durban's Super Giants |
| Bowling records | ||
| Most wickets | Ottniel Baartman | 61 |
| Fielding | ||
| Most dismissals (wicket-keeper) | Tristan Stubbs | 42 |
| Most catches (fielder) | David Miller Marco Jansen Aiden Markram |
18 |
| Team records | ||
| Highest total | Durban's Super Giants | 254/4 (20) vs Pretoria Capitals |
| Lowest total | Paarl Royals | 49 (13.3) vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape |
- As of 8 February 2025
Broadcasting
As of January 2023[update], Betway SA20 and Sky Sports have a five-year contract to broadcast the T20 cricket league.[23]
| Country | Channels | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-saharan Africa | SuperSport | 2023–present |
| Australia | Fox Sports | 2025–present |
| Brunei | Willow TV | 2025–present |
| Cambodia | ||
| Canada | ||
| Indonesia | ||
| Laos | ||
| Malaysia | ||
| MENA | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Myanmar | ||
| Philippines | ||
| Singapore | ||
| Thailand | ||
| Timor Leste | ||
| USA | ||
| Vietnam | ||
| Pan-Europe (exc. UK-IRE) | Triller TV | 2025–present |
| Ireland | Sky Sports | 2023–present[24] |
| United Kingdom | ||
| Indian subcontinent | Star Sports | 2023–present[25][26] |
| JioHotstar | ||
| Pakistan | Geo Super | 2025–present |
| mytv | ||
| Tapmad |
References
- ^ "Cricket South Africa announces new six-team franchise-based T20 competition". ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ "T20 COMES HOME AS CSA AND SUPERSPORT ANNOUNCE GRAND NEW EVENT". Cricket South Africa. Archived from the original on 1 December 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
- ^ a b "CSA T20 League 2023: List of players signed up for the first edition". Wisden. 12 August 2022.
- ^ "CSA T20 league to be called 'SA20'; player auction to be held on September 19". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ "Haroon Lorgat calls for independent inquiry into 'collapsed' T20 Global League". Hindustan Times. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "The SA20 player auction: all you need to know". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
- ^ "CSA confident of seeing off legal challenge to new T20 league". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "CSK, Mumbai Indians interested in buying franchises in South Africa's new T20 league". ESPN Cricinfo. 13 August 2022.
- ^ "South Africa's men's cricket team withdraws from three-match ODI series against Australia in January". ABC News. 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "Graeme Smith Named as Commissioner for CSA's New T20 league". Times of Sports. Archived from the original on 17 November 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ "A South Africa Test squad with just seven capped players". ESPN cricinfo. 30 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "South African cricket's Faustian pact keeps the lights on, but at a price". The Guardian. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
- ^ "SA20: Window for next three seasons revealed, next edition likely to begin on Boxing day". IndiaTV. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "Next season's SA20 likely to begin on Boxing Day". ESPN. Retrieved 4 February 2025.
- ^ "SA20 2022/23 Table, Matches, win, loss, points for SA20". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ "Cricket South Africa | GLOBAL CRICKET SUPERSTAR LINED UP FOR SOUTH AFRICA T20 LEAGUE". Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "CSA T20 league: Livingstone and Buttler in top salary bracket as England, SA players hit paydirt". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ Sagar, Singh (11 February 2024). "SA20 2024 Winner Prize Money, Complete List of Award-Winners, Top Records & Stats All You Need To Know". CricTracker. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/sa20-prize-money-and-full-list-of-awards-how-much-amount-did-sunrisers-eastern-cape-get-after-3rd-title-10886119
- ^ on, Published (7 January 2023). "SA20 trophy a 'masterpiece'". SA Cricketmag. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "https://www.sa20.co.za/news/inaugural-betway-sa20-trophy-on-show". www.sa20.co.za. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
{{cite web}}: External link in|title= - ^ "IPL franchise owners buy all six teams in South Africa's new T20 league". ESPN Cricinfo.
- ^ "Sky Sports to broadcast SA20". Super Sports. 9 January 2023.
- ^ "Sky Sports announces new rights deal with the SA20 cricket league". Skygroup. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
- ^ "SA20 strikes landmark broadcast deal for Indian market". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
- ^ "Dinesh Karthik set to become first Indian to play in SA20: Live Streaming Info, when and where to watch". SPORTSTAR. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
External links
| Seasons | |
|---|---|
| Personnel changes | |
| Finals | |
| Teams | |
| Venues | |
| Statistics | |
| National teams | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams |
| ||||||||||||
| Tournaments |
| ||||||||||||
| Grounds | |||||||||||||
| Lists | |||||||||||||
