The eagerly awaited SA20 kicks off on January 10 at Newlands Cricket Ground with a thrilling Western Cape derby between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals.
Only two months remain before the elite T20 League of South Africa kicks off, and today saw the release of the whole fixture schedule for the 33 games that will be played at six sites throughout the nation.
MI With a star-studded lineup that features Kagiso Rabada of the Proteas, Afghanistan's premier spinner Rashid Khan, England's six-hitting ace Liam Livingstone, and South Africa's teenage wonder Dewald Brevis, among others, Cape Town will try to fascinate the Newlands fans.
Jos Buttler, the captain of England's white-ball team, and his Lords colleagues Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan, who helped their side win the 2019 World Cup, are the headliners of the Royals' equally impressive lineup. Proteas David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, and Tabraiz Shamsi, who serve as the team's captain and are coached by former Proteas all-rounder JP Duminy, will join them.
The first game and the remaining 32 contests will all be shown exclusively live on SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa and Viacom18 Sports to India's ardent and cricket-loving viewership.
League Commissioner Graeme Smith remarked, "Releasing fixtures for the debut season is a milestone for us all at SA20.
"It's all becoming very real, and we can't wait to see the top athletes in the world compete. Fans can anticipate a jam-packed calendar that begins on January 10 with the well-known neighbourhood match between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals.
"At ideal viewing times for the afternoon and evening matches, fans will be able to see the top domestic and international T20 talents live in action. The perfect transmission time guarantees that people throughout the world can continue to enjoy the captivating entertainment, Smith added.
With the SA20 caravan travelling the nation for two weeks and at least one game taking place every day until January 24, the action is nonstop. Fans will finally get a taste of what the IPL-owned clubs will be adding to the local flavour when each team plays five home games and five away games.
Five of these games will take place at St. George's Park, where the Sunrisers Eastern Cape and their legendary brass band, the 12th man, will make sure every visit to Gqeberha is one to remember.
The Wanderers Cricket Stadium will host the inaugural Highveld derby between the Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals on January 17. Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Alzarri Joseph from the West Indies, and George Garton from England are just a few of the speed merchants on the JSK squad who are ready to steam into the Bullring. The Capitals, led by Josh Little of Ireland and Proteas speedsters Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell, will be just as up to the task.
When the League takes a break for the three-match One-Day International Series between the Proteas and England at the end of January, everyone will be free to catch their breath for a week. The match between the hosts, the Durban Super Giants, and the MI Cape Town will begin play at Kingsmead on 2nd February.
As this will be the first of just two games played at Kingsmead in the second half of the schedule, Lance Klusener's team will try to capitalise on their home-field advantage. The remaining games will all be played at Wanderers and SuperSport Park in Centurion due to the ICC Women's T20 Cricket World Cup, which will be hosted in South Africa in February.
The first-ever SA20 Champions will be announced at the grand final, which will take place at the Wanderers on February 11, 2023.