SA20 Captains Ready for Battle: Preparations, New Faces, and High Hopes Ahead of Third Edition

With the SA20 cricket league gearing up for its third edition, the captains of all six teams have shared insights into their preparations, squad dynamics, and expectations for the season. Captains for Durban Super Giants Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram of the Sunrisers EC only joined their sides on Wednesday as they come from International duty with the Proteas. Rashid Khan of MI Cape Town arrived in Cape Town Tuesday night.

Aiden Markram - Sunrisers Eastern Cape

"From what I have heard, preparations has been good. I chatted a bit with coach Adi Birrell, he seems to be operating nicely. Obviously the guys flew in on the 1st and 2nd [January]. It has been a good weeks prep, the guys getting know each other and getting used to the conditions in PE [Gqeberha]."

"The boys are gelling nicely, there are some new faces and I am looking forward to the month ahead. We will touch base with them this evening and looking forward to starting with them."

David Miller - Paarl Royals

"This year we got quite a few new faces, some exciting young players that have come through. Lhuandre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka...there is some serious good talent there! We got a new coach as well in Trevor Penney, [Laughs] someone that has four passports...Australia, England, Canada and Zimbabwe. So he is well experienced and traveled."

"He has been around the world coaching and playing so it is good to have him in the setup. We also have Dinesh Karthik, nice to have someone with his experience and as a senior player. Joe Root as well, really exciting for me to tap into those experienced players. Overall the guys have been training very well."

"We are in Pearl Valley...we got a Golf Day later this afternoon, that is going to go down well. We had a warm-up game yesterday and the day before as well. Overall our pre is going well."

Rilee Rossouw - Pretoria Capitals

"We had a great week leading up to the first game. Our core is really similar to what it was the previous season. We got a lot of similar faces and some new rookies who I am excited to see. The likes of Keagan [Lion-Cachet] and Steve [Stolk], who are playing good cricket at the moment."

"We got a couple of key men who need to come back for us in the fast bowling department, hopefully their toes and shoulders are fine by the time the competition kicks off. They are being monitored and looking really well. They are ahead of schedule, according to the professionals [medical staff]. I am really keen and excited with our squad."

Keshav Maharaj - Durban Super Giants

"I have been chatting to Lance [Klusenar]. Training has been really good, obviously the weather hasn't helped preparations in Durban but we still have the facilities to still try and make use of where we can."

"Personally, I am really excited to learn from a guy like Kane Williamson. He has been around the world and has done really well. I'll defiantly dive into his knowledge and insights into his philosophy of leading sides. I am excited to see the youngsters in our lineup, in CJ King and Bryce Parsons."

"Bryce [Parsons] last season after being part of the squad, he dominated the domestic T20 competition. Overall I am excited and keen to bring some good energy in the Super Giants changing room."

Faf du Plessis - Joburg Super Kings

"The weather has been a little damp in Joburg and wet. From a squad perspective, we had great signings in the off-season in the likes of Johnny Bairstow, Devon Conway, Pathirana [Matheesha] and Shamsi [Tabraiz] as well. Those are four proper players and a lot of experience comes with them."

"Overall our squad is looking very balanced but we had two injuries which wasn't ideal with Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams. Definitely not ideal in terms of pace attack but we still have enough options to make sure we have a balanced team."

Rashid Khan - MI Cape Town

"The guys have been practising and preparing well. I haven't met the team yet as I only landed last night but I will meet them tonight. We got some great faces and new faces."

"It's good to see how the guys have performed the last couple of months for the respective teams. The form of the players is well so I am super excited for this time. Hopefully we can deliver the best results for the team in the SA20. Everyone is pumped up and excited to deliver the best MI Cape Town this year."

Excitement Building for SA20

With teams blending new talent and seasoned stars, the third season of SA20 promises to be fiercely competitive. Captains are optimistic, and fans can expect thrilling cricket action as the tournament unfolds.