SA20 Season 5 fixtures out: Sunrisers to meet Pretoria Capitals in opener

The fifth season of SA20 will begin on January 17 with defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape taking on Pretoria Capitals in a repeat of last season's final at the St George's Park in Gqeberha.

Pretoria Capitals, under a new leadership group featuring former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly as head coach and Keshav Maharaj as captain, enjoyed an immediate turnaround by reaching the final after first-round exits in the previous two editions.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape, meanwhile, maintained their dominance despite changes in personnel and captaincy, with head coach Adrian Birrell once again steering the franchise to the title, setting up a blockbuster curtain-raiser for the new season.

 

The six-team tournament will feature Durban Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Pretoria Capitals, Paarl Royals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, with all franchises wholly or partly owned by IPL team owners.

The playoffs will begin with Qualifier 1 in Paarl on February 16, followed by the Eliminator in Johannesburg on February 17, Qualifier 2 in Johannesburg on February 19 and the final in Cape Town on February 21. 

The season will feature four double-headers, the first on January 23 when Durban's Super Giants host Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead before Joburg Super Kings face Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the Wanderers later in the day. 

SA20

The remaining double-headers are scheduled for January 30, February 6 and February 13.

"There is no better way to start Season 5 than with a repeat of one of the most thrilling finals in our history. Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals served up a classic in Cape Town last season, and it's fitting that they're the two teams out in the middle when the season gets underway in Gqeberha on 17 January 2027," said Graeme Smith, the SA20 League Commissioner.

"The Paarl fans have been some of the most passionate supporters of the League so I'm excited that we are finally able to give them a Playoff in the form of Q1. Equally, Wanderers in Johannesburg will be the place to be as the team to contest the Final will be taking part in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2.

"The Newlands Faithful have been fantastic hosts for our Final in recent years, and we're grateful to the City of Cape Town for their support as we return to Newlands once again. We're excited for fans in all six of our host cities to be part of the season," Smith added.