South Africa will finally play host to a true franchise T20 tournament in the form of the SA20. Having attempted to launch such a tournament on a couple of previous occasions, all signs are pointing to this being the one that breaks through. To get to this position, there has been a heavy influence from the Indian Premier League (IPL). Each of the six teams have been purchased by the owners of current IPL sides, with each team sharing the names of their respective IPL counterparts.
To that end, there is a familiarity which is welcoming for the sake of continuity, with the Caribbean Premier League sharing similar practices. That does naturally, though, reduce the opportunity for some unique and fresh franchises.
What is the format of the SA20 and when does it start?
Like many other franchise tournaments around the world, the SA20 features a round-robin group stage, with each of the six teams playing each other home and away. The top four will then meet in the semi-finals, with the top-placed team facing the side finishing 4th, with 2nd playing 3rd. The final of the SA20 is set for the 11th of February.
The SA20 itself starts on the 10th of January with a game between MI Cape Town and visitors Paarl Royals.
How were the squads assembled for the SA20?
Like the IPL, the SA20 featured a player auction where the six teams were able to bid for the players they most wanted. However, the franchises were initially able to acquire the services of between two and five players prior to the auction. MI Cape Town went all out, bringing in superstars Rashid Khan, Sam Curran and Kagiso Rabada, along with rising star Dewald Brevis.
Paarl Royals brought in David Miller and Jos Buttler, while other big domestic names included Faf du Plessis, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock and Aidan Markram.
Who were the main buys in the SA20 auction?
All-rounder Tristan Stubbs fetched the highest bid at the 2022 auction, with Sunrisers Eastern Cape laying down around £450,000 for his services. Rilee Rossouw's explosive form and experience saw him purchased by Pretoria Capitals for approximately £350,000, while Sunrisers put their hands in their pockets to secure bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen for around £300,000.
The uncapped Donovan Ferreira, who has a strong T20 record and was picked up by Rajasthan Royals in the recent IPL auction, was bought by the Johannesburg Super Kings for just over £250,000. Tabraiz Shamsi was Paarl Royals' top buy, with Ferreira being joined at JSK by Reeza Hendricks and Wayne Parnell linking up with Rossouw at Pretoria. Current South Africa international Heinrich Klaasen and now-former South Africa international Dwaine Pretorius were the top domestic names for Durban's Super Giants.
Some of the top international talents picked up at the auction include Harry Brook [Super Kings], Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan{both Royals], Phil Salt and Adil Rashid [both Capitals].
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