THE SA20 makes its return to the highveld this weekend, as Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals brace for their opening encounters in the third season of the tournament.
The Wanderers ‘Bullring’ in Johannesburg will have their first SA20 game on Saturday as JSK are set to host MI Cape Town for their opening game of the tournament, which is set to get under way at 5.30pm.
SuperSport Park in Centurion will see the Pretoria Capitals host Durban’s Super Giants on Sunday, as the Rilee Rossouw-led side will play their second fixture of the tournament following their visit to Kingsmead on Friday.
Ahead of their visit to Durban and their first home game this coming Sunday, Rossouw emphasised their intention of playing positive cricket this season.
“We want to play positive cricket. It’s the team’s philosophy. We want to play good cricket at a good pace, and always be competitive,” Rossouw told the media during the Captain’s Day in Cape Town on Wednesday.
𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬' 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐮𝐭! 😉🩵#RoarSaamMore #BetwaySA20 pic.twitter.com/2xxgR2dzEM
— Pretoria Capitals (@PretoriaCapsSA) January 8, 2025
“Every team here is super strong, so we’re going to have to play our best cricket to win each and every single game.”
Faf du Plessis, the captain of the Joburg Super Kings, is confident of the balance of their squad this season.
JSK have roped in international stars such as Devon Conway and Jonny Bairstow, while they have had to endure injuries to key players in Nandré Burger and Lizaad Williams.
“From a squad perspective, some great signings in the off-season. The likes of Jonny Bairstow, Devon Conway, Matheesha Pathirana, those three guys and (Tabraiz) Shamsi obviously,” Du Plessis told the media on Wednesday.
The gethu moment for Indian fans! Ft. Bairstow 💥#WhistleForJoburg#ToJoburgWeBelong#SA20 pic.twitter.com/JCQrRyoDWb
“Those are four proper cricket players, with a lot of experience that comes with them. All in all, our squad is looking very balanced – two injuries that weren’t ideal in terms of Nandré Burger and Lizaad Williams.
“That’s not ideal in terms of the pace attack, but we certainly feel we still have enough options to make sure we’ve got a great, balanced team.”
Our lions are about to hit the season 3️⃣ in 4️⃣ days! 🦁🔥#WhistleforJoburg #ToJoburgWeBelong#SA20 pic.twitter.com/Ira4dnDQSM
— Joburg Super Kings (@JSKSA20) January 7, 2025
JSK reached the knockout stages of the tournament last season, while Pretoria Capitals crashed out in the round-robin stages. Both sides will be looking to have better campaigns this time around.