After a couple of failed attempts at establishing a top T20 league in the country, Cricket South Africa (CSA) finally stumbled on the SA20 in 2023.
Since its inception, the South African T20 league has been taking big strides, attracting cricketing stars from all over the world. Plus, having the IPL team owners operate six franchises has helped the league strike a connection with a global audience.
Riding on these factors, SA20 is turning out to be an exciting league, with almost a similar format to the IPL in place. So here’s a rundown of SA20’s format, points system, and participant teams.
How many teams participate in SA20?
As many as six teams participate in SA20 each season, with all of them owned by IPL franchise owners. These teams represent major South African cities like Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Paarl, Pretoria, and Gqeberha.
Here are the six participating teams in SA20 and their home venues:
| Team | Home Venue |
|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban |
| Joburg Super Kings | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| MI Cape Town | Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town |
| Paarl Royals | Boland Park, Paarl |
| Pretoria Capitals | Centurion Park, Pretoria |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | St George’s Park Cricket Ground, Gqeberha |
How does the SA20 league format work?
The South African league follows a double-robin format during the league stage. There are 30 games in the round-robin format.
The league stage pits the six teams against each other twice, with each side playing 10 matches. Once the league stage concludes, SA20 enters the playoff stage, which has four matches, including the season finale.
Also Read | SA20 Winners List from 2023 to Date
How does the SA20 playoff format work?
Four of the six teams occupying the top spots on the points table get a chance to qualify for SA20’s playoff stage. The playoff stage opens with Qualifier 1, with the top two teams clashing against each other to seal the final berth.
Then the Eliminator takes place, with the third and fourth-placed teams trying to proceed to Qualifier 2. As a team advances from the Eliminator, the losers of Qualifier 1 prepare themselves to square off against them in Qualifier 2 to book the other final spot.
The winner of Qualifier 2 then enters the season finale to battle it out for the ultimate prize against the winner of Qualifier 1.
How does the points system work in the SA20?
The points system is quite straightforward in the SA20. A win in the league stage ensures four points for a team, while a no-result means teams split the points.
To increase competitiveness, there is also a provision for a bonus point if a team wins the game with a run rate difference of 1.25 times.
| Result | Points |
|---|---|
| Win | 4 |
| No Result | 2 |
| Win by Run Rate Diff. of 1.25 Times | 1 Bonus Point |
| Loss | 0 |
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