Sunrisers take the crown once again after an adrenaline-pumping SA20 season

With the 2025/26 season of SA20, South Africa’s premier T20, recently coming to a close, the excitement among both Sunrisers Eastern Cape players and fans is off the charts.

After relinquishing the trophy to MI Cape Town in 2025, the bounce-back champions reclaimed the crown and reinforced their dominance. But outclassing the Pretoria Capitals in the finals was no easy task.

In an exhilarating showdown at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town on 25 January, the Sunrisers won by six wickets with four balls left. It was a finale worth watching in full, as fans across South Africa and beyond witnessed an epic match of thrilling twists and turns.

For 10bet’s VIPs and loyal players, the best part was witnessing all the action up close. The online betting platform hosted a series of events throughout the SA20 season, including the Sunday final. Guests were also joined by cricket legend Herschelle Gibbs, 10bet’s ambassador, as they watched history-making performances from some of the best seats in the house.

SA20’s well-known double round-robin structure

The fourth-ever SA20 relied on a familiar setup: six franchises battling it out in a double round-robin format. Each team faced the other five twice for a total of 10 matches per team.

During the initial league phase, Durban’s Super Giants, Johannesburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape fought for positioning before the big playoffs and the outstanding Sunday final.

This season, SA20’s league phase kicked off on 26 December, with Durban’s Super Giants gaining early momentum against last year’s defending champions, MI Cape Town, with 15 runs.

Two matches later, the Sunrisers beat the Paarl Royals by a whopping 137 runs, showing why they already have two titles from 2023 and 2024 and why they intend to go after their third in this SA20 season.

From late December through mid-January, the six teams traded wins and losses in a setup that rewards both consistency and under-pressure performance. And, boy oh boy, was performing under pressure crucial here.

Sunrisers’ calmness leads to third SA20 title overall

Fast forward to the Sunday finals, and the Sunrisers were batting it out against the Pretoria Capitals in a magnificent showdown. After being asked to bat first, the Capitals set a competitive target of 158/7, primarily thanks to Dewald Brevis’s outstanding 101 runs off 56 balls.

For the Sunrisers, the early portion of the match had them looking like they’re in quite a lot of trouble with 48/4. But even under pressure, Sunrisers’ captain Tristan Stubbs managed to keep his cool. He and top-order batter Matthew Breetzke took a final stand that would turn the tide.

The duo didn’t just steady the ship; they delivered an outstanding performance of 114 runs off 65 balls. It was that impeccable timing and calmness that led the Sunrisers to their third SA20 title overall.

Stubbs’s reaction says it all, but so does Maharaj’s

When asked how he and Breetzke managed to pull it off, Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s captain Tristan Stubbs admitted he had no idea. Stubbs also mentioned that he’s still processing the final match that brought the Sunrisers their third crown in SA20’s four seasons total.

Sunrisers’ coach Adrian Birrell echoed Stubbs’ sentiments. He first praised the Capitals’ Dewald Brevis and his remarkable performance that set the tone for the finals, and then emphasised how proud he is of his team for overcoming early difficulties.

Capitals’ captain Keshav Maharaj also reflected on the loss in the final. He openly admitted that both he and the boys are feeling it right now, especially since this was the Capitals’ second final loss to the Sunrisers. However, Maharaj also said there’s a lot of inspiration to be drawn from the last five of the eight matches the Capitals won.

SA20 excitement extended beyond the pitch

The fourth-ever season of SA20 proved that T20 cricket in South Africa is a force to be reckoned with. Not only is the league now the most-watched annual cricket event in the country, but stadiums sell out before you can say “wicket”.

Luckily, 10bet South Africa was there to bring a premium experience to the sport’s biggest fans and VIP guests. The top online betting platform in South Africa hosted players at various matches throughout SA20’s December-to-January runtime.

After soaking in the atmosphere at behind-the-scenes interactions with established and up-and-coming cricket stars, guests witnessed this year’s outstanding batting performances unfold live with a fantastic view.

Adding star power to the exclusive experience was legendary South African opener Herschelle Gibbs. The former cricket player and 10bet’s current ambassador mingled with the guests, sharing insights from his own cricket career.

He also shared his views on the top performers of SA20 2025/26. In fact, Gibbs had both the Capitals’ rising star Dewald Brevis and captain Keshav Maharaj, and the Sunrisers’ magnificent duo, in his top 10 before the action started.

Gibbs, who’s well-known among South Africa’s cricket fans for his legendary career and massive charisma, emphasised the growing appeal of SA20. Meanwhile, his partnership with 10bet enabled VIP guests to engage with both the legend himself and the game in real time.

Source: Briefly News