We’re on the eve of the third season of South Africa’s SA20, and this season promises to be the most explosive Twenty20 season so far.
This is a blink-and-you-miss-it event, with the opening match on January 9 and the final one month later on February 8.
The world cricket calendar is full of domestic competitions, franchise tournaments, and internal fixtures. The SA20 clashes with Twenty20 competitions in New Zealand, Bangladesh, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The best players have to make big decisions where and when they play, with the Big Bash League having become a premier competition that attracts worldwide star names.
Here is a look ahead at what to expect from the 2025 edition of SA20.
2024 SA20 League Recap
In the 2024 SA20 League, Sunrisers Eastern Cape defended its league crown by defeating Durban’s Super Giants in the tournament final.
These were the two best teams throughout the season, with each finishing with seven wins at the end of the 10 league matches played. The Sunrisers finished at the top of the log, with the Super Giants in second place with 33 points and 32 points, respectively.
The Paarl Royals were the only other team to win half their games. They finished in third place with 22 points, while the other three teams ended the season with just three wins each.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape enters the 2025 season looking for its third SA20 title. The team has never lost the league since the format was established in 2023.
2025 SA20 League Preview
2025 SA20 League Odds To Win (BetXchange)
- Pretoria Capitals – 7/2
- MI Cape Town – 7/2
- Joburg Super Kings – 4/1
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape – 11/2
- Durban’s Super Giants – 5/1
- Paarl Royals – 7/1
The 2025 SA20 season will follow the established format of 10 games and a finals series. The top four teams on the log at the end of the regular season will qualify for the finals.
The Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town are joint favorites at 7/2. These two teams did excellent business in the player auction, and their squads include a mix of established talent and promising youngsters.
The Capitals have been rocked by the news that experienced West Indies batsman Evin Lewis will miss the season through injury. He has played over 120 white ball matches for the Windies and was expected to be a heavy run scorer for the Pretoria side.
The Capitals will still be a threat, with New Zealand and England all-rounders James Neesham and Liam Livingstone in their ranks.
It will be exciting to see Indian wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik suit up for the Paarl Royals. The 39-year-old will become the first Indian player to participate in SA20 due to rules preventing India’s stars from playing abroad. It will be interesting to see what this leads to down the line.
2024-25 SA20 League Best Bets
Co-favorite MI Cape Town has finished at the bottom of the log in both SA20 seasons. They are also down a star through injury, with England Test captain Ben Stokes missing the entire season with a hamstring injury. Even so, with Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, and Kagiso Rabada in their ranks, this squad is loaded with every chance of making a run.
They also added the big-hitting Reeza Hendricks to their lineup. I like Hendricks at 8/1 to be the top bat, he is in great form, and for the Cape Town team to make a run at the title.
