As we already know, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced the commencement of a domestic T20 league from this year onwards where players from all over the world can take part, SA T20 League. I feel it is a great move as it can really help grow the cricketing standards in South Africa just like the IPL did in India.
We will have to see how successful the league becomes and how well the South African cricketing board executes it. It can also help the board earn some extra revenue which can benefit South Africa’s cricketing ambitions. The SA T20 League is all set to start on 10th January 2023 and will be played in the round-robin format along with playoffs. It is starting with 6 teams initially, teams based in South African cities and owned by different IPL franchises. Here, we are going to have a look at the Top-5 players to watch out for in the SA T20 League.
- Harry Brook (Batter, Joburg Super Kings)
The first player in our list of Top-5 players to watch out for in the SA T20 League is English batter, Harry Brook. This young sensation has been all over the news in the past few weeks. First, he showed his batting abilities in the series against Pakistan where he scored three centuries in five innings with four 80+ scores. Then, he grabbed a big paycheck at the Indian Premier League 2023 Auction from Sunrisers Hyderabad worth INR 13.25 crores. He bats in the middle order and can take on any bowler from the word go. It will be really interesting to see how he performs in the SA T20 League on the road to the IPL. He will be playing for the Joburg Super Kings franchise owned by the Chennai Super Kings and is based in the African city of Johannesburg.
- Sam Curran (All-rounder, MI Cape Town)
The next player who will be watched very closely in the SA T20 League is Sam Curran. He is surely one of the Top-5 players to watch out for in the SA T20 League because of his talent. He is a proper four-over bowler in a T20 match and can give any captain wickets at crucial stages. He showed everyone that he is a clutch player and can perform extremely well under pressure in the recently concluded ICC T20I World Cup, where he was the Man of the Tournament. His batting abilities cannot be underestimated either as he can be used as a floater in T20 matches and can bat at any position in any situation.
- Anrich Nortje (Bowler, Pretoria Capitals)
This South African fast bowler has been in top form in the past 2-3 years and has shown his mettle time and again. His express pace (can bowl 145+ kph consistently) along with accuracy and consistency makes him different from others. With the home conditions supporting him perfectly, everyone would be waiting to see how he performs in the inaugural edition of the SA T20 League. He will surely be the player to watch out for as his team’s bowling performance in the tournament will depend a lot on his performance. If I have to make a daring prediction, I would put my money on Anrich Nortje to be the highest wicket-taker in this edition of the SA T20 League.
- Marco Jansen (All-rounder, Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
This left-arm speedster is one of the top players everyone would be looking forward to watching. He has been in exceptional form this international season. He started his career as a proper fast bowler but his special contributions with the bat in difficult times for his team have given him the tag of an all-rounder. He is a special player who has some raw pace and swing. Everyone will be waiting to see how he fairs out in the upcoming SA T20 League in the conditions favourable to him. He is the kind of bowler who can hit the deck hard and can trouble any batter with his bounce and pace.
- Quinton De Kock (Batter, Durban’s Super Giants)
Quinton De Kock will be seen in a new role after a very long time as he will be captaining his side Durban’s Super Giants in the SA T20 League. He will be the top player to watch out for as far as his team is concerned because he is a marquee player and has been given this opportunity with a lot of trust from the management. He plays for the Super Giants franchise in the IPL also and the team owners know what he is capable of. Having not been able to perform up to the mark in recent times in international as well as domestic cricket, Quinton De Kock would be raring to go and give everyone a glimpse of his capabilities once again.
