Quinton de Kock (Durban’s Super Giants)
Quinton de Kock’s T20I career was at its lowest point in 2022, as measured by average (25.30), but he had a brilliant IPL season, finishing third in overall run scoring. There are rumors about de Kock’s international future once he retired from Test cricket in 2021, but South Africa might still defeat him in the SA20. Despite a rocky stint as an international captain a few years ago, he has been given the reins of the Durban Super Giants. The good news for the Kingsmead-based team is that, despite de Kock’s lackluster performance as South Africa’s Test captain, his T20I performance actually increased over that time.
Dewald Brevis (MI Cape Town)
The upcoming star of South African cricket has previously participated in the IPL and CPL and was selected before the auction by MI Cape Town for the SA20 competition. Brevis is a brave batsman with a 360-degree game who has amassed some impressive figures in a brief number of games. He signed with Titans after completing as the Under-19 World Cup’s top run-scorer early last year, and he has made an almost immediate impact. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the CSA T20 Challenge in October after smashing a 57-ball 162 for the Titans and posting a strike rate of 176.75.
Josh Little (Pretoria Capitals)
Josh Little’s ascent to the position of a T20 superstar in 2022 has made him “technically the second,” as the man himself described it, Irish player to play in league with IPL affiliation (after Eoin Morgan). He was the joint-second-leading bowler in The Hundred with 13 wickets at an average of 8.00 and was the second-leading bowler in T20 Internationals last year with 39 T20 wickets at 18.92. Additionally, he has an IPL deal with the Gujarat Titans, and he will now play for the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 league after making a brief stop in Zimbabwe for Ireland’s ODI series. Little is well-known for his fast bowling, ability to make use of air swing, and ability to move the ball off the seam, which makes South Africa the perfect place for him to showcase his skills. Anrich Nortje and Wayne Parnell, two of his fast-bowling teammates, ensure that Capitals will be a formidable opponent for Cape Town in the pace stakes.
Jofra Archer (MI Cape Town)
With the signing of Jofra Archer as their wildcard, Cape Town scored another major victory. For the first time since March of last year, he is about to play competitive cricket once more. Archer has been fighting an elbow ailment and a stress fracture in his lower back while making slow progress toward a comeback, beginning with a few games with the England Lions. The SA20 gives him a great chance to get in shape before the international matches and the IPL, where he has been retained by Mumbai Indians, as well as the three ODIs England will play against South Africa at the end of January. Sam Curran, Kagiso Rabada, Odean Smith, and Olly Stone are among the most potent pace attacks in the competition, and Archer will join them at the SA20.
Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
Stubbs, who was the most expensive purchase at the auction and cost R9.2 million (USD 520,000), will be eager to prove his value at his home base. He was signed by the Port Elizabeth-based Sunrisers Eastern Cape, where he also started his professional career. He became well-known during the 2021–22 season, finishing second in the CSA T20 Challenge with 293 runs in seven innings, including three fifty-plus runs and a strike rate of 183.12. In that competition, he scored over two-thirds of his runs on boundaries. Stubbs was signed by Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2022, however, he only appeared in two games. He is anticipated to play a bigger role in the SA20. He has a crisp swing, is quick between the wickets, and contributes to the team. He might even bowl some off-spin for us.
Donovan Ferreira (Joburg Super Kings)
You might be asking what the Joburg Super Kings saw when they paid out R5.5 (USD 320,000) million for the unknown Donovan Ferreira, making him one of the costliest purchases of the auction. With 152 runs in five games and a strike rate of 153.33, Ferreira, who has played 26 T20 matches in South Africa, was the sixth-highest run scorer at the provincial T20 cup in the 2021–22 season. He appears to have caught the attention of those with deep pockets after scoring an 88-ball 98 for the Titans against North-West in a one-day cup match this summer. In this competition, he will face high expectations.
Andile Phehlukwayo (Paarl Royals)
Andile Phehlukwayo, who was one of the most prominent players to be passed over at the auction, received a lifeline from the Boland-based team, Paarl Royals, who signed him as their wild card and have effectively given him the chance to revive his T20 career. Phehluklwayo has slipped down the international food chain, losing favor to Dwaine Pretorius and most recently Marco Jansen. Phehlukwayo had also been passed over for the previous T20 World Cups. The SA20 is Phehlukwayo’s chance to demonstrate his all-around abilities to the selectors. He is known for his ability to bowl change-ups and his finishing prowess with the bat.
