The second edition of SA20 starts on January 10 with Sunrisers Eastern facing Joburg Super Kings at St George\u2019s Park in Gqeberha.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
League Commissioner, Smith, was overjoyed to welcome in Season 2 and expects to stage an even bigger and better ''Sportainment'' experience for the South African public.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"In my opinion, the teams look much stronger than in Season 1. There is incredible local talent and some superstars from around the world that have joined us. We know the competitive nature of the six franchises and we expect the cricketing stories to be fantastic again\", Smith said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"And then the fans \u2026 an event like this can\u2019t be at this level without people coming into the grounds and supporting their teams and having a fantastic time with us over the next few weeks. A lot of hard work has gone into getting this platform ready.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe want people to come out and have a wonderful time with us. If it is a Tuesday night at 5:30pm, then anyone in the country can have a great time. It\u2019s catered for everyone,\" he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Durban\u2019s Super Giants captain, Keshav Maharaj, echoed Smith\u2019s sentiments, especially in terms of the crowds flocking back to Kingsmead.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"To be able to see the crowds back, especially from a Durban point of view, it\u2019s been a while since we experienced that. The atmosphere was electric. There was a lot of fun and buzz at the ground. Fans really came in their numbers. Hopefully they build on that again this year and come back in their numbers,\" Maharaj said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The experienced Joburg Super Kings captain, Faf du Plessis, believes the League will become the cradle of South African cricket.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We have seen over the years at the IPL what a difference it makes to young guys. It is a big stepping stone for the future of South African cricket. Some of the guys weren\u2019t even born yet when I started playing. So for me, the superstars we can get here are very important for the tournament. Guys that many of the young players would only have seen on TV,\u201d Du Plessis said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
MI Cape Town captain, Kieron Pollard, meanwhile, was ecstatic to be back in the Mother City and is hoping to turn around his team\u2019s fortunes after a disappointing maiden season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I\u2019ve been here before. I\u2019ve enjoyed the city. I\u2019ve enjoyed Newlands and I\u2019ve enjoyed the fans. So, I\u2019ve come and tried to make a difference. Obviously, from a team perspective, we didn\u2019t do as well as we thought we should have,\u201d Pollard said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"So, now we just want to give the fans something to cheer about. For me, I\u2019m in the twilight of my career, so it\u2019s about enjoyment and hopefully passing on the experience to the younger guys.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Paarl Royals skipper, David Miller, cannot wait for the derbies against local Western Cape rivals MI Cape Town and also his hometown side, Durban\u2019s Super Giants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt's always going to be a big game against Polly\u2019s team (MI Cape Town) and that\u2019s always going to be a biggie between the two of us. Personally, coming from Durban and not being with them last season and this season, it is always nice to do well against them. Really excited about what lies ahead for this big competition,\u201d Miller said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
It is not just the action on the field that has everyone waiting in anticipation, with Pretoria Capitals captain, Wayne Parnell, eager to get a taste of the unique atmosphere at Centurion.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Centurion is a ground I\u2019ve really enjoyed playing at, especially for the Proteas. And obviously being there last season with the Capitals was really special. We were lucky enough to have a great fan base last year and it's really nice to see the engagement for Season 2. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing everyone braaing on the grass banks again,\"Parnell said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, last but definitely not least, defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain, Aiden Markram, is hoping for a repeat of the magic they produced last season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"It was a fantastic competition last season. We got into the knockouts by hook or crook, and at least played two games of good cricket after that. It was quite special. It\u2019s a great memory for us and we will give it our best crack again this year,\" Markram said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2024\/01\/six-skippers-officially-mark-the-start-of-sa20-at-captains-day-in-cape-town.JPG", "alt_img": "Six skippers officially mark the start of SA20 at Captain\u2019s Day in Cape Town", "alt_title": "Six skippers officially mark the start of SA20 at Captain\u2019s Day in Cape Town", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "Six Skippers Officially Mark The Start Of SA20 At Captain\u2019s Day In Cape Town On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "Six Skippers Officially Mark The Start Of SA20 At Captain\u2019s Day In Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings: SA20 Season 2 is just day away and the excitement is reaching fever pitch as all six.", "seo_keywords": "Cape Town, SA20 Season, League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, Camps Bay, Atlantic Ocean, Sunrisers Eastern, Joburg Super Kings, St George, South African, Super Giants, Keshav Maharaj, Du Plessis, MI Cape Town, Kieron Pollard, Mother City, Paarl Royals", "tag": "", "tagging": "Cape Town, SA20 Season, League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, Camps Bay, Atlantic Ocean, Sunrisers Eastern, Joburg Super Kings, St George, South African, Super Giants, Keshav Maharaj, Du Plessis, MI Cape Town, Kieron Pollard, Mother City, Paarl Royals", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "six-skippers-officially-mark-the-start-of-sa20-at-captains-day-in-cape-town", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "0", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "785", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2024-01-09 14:12:03", "updated": "2024-01-09 14:12:03", "img_from": "Image Source: IANS", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "Cape Town, SA20 Season, League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, Camps Bay, Atlantic Ocean, Sunrisers Eastern, Joburg Super Kings, St George, South African, Super Giants, Keshav Maharaj, Du Plessis, MI Cape Town, Kieron Pollard, Mother City, Paarl Royals", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "1", "google_feed": "1", "read_more": "0", "posted_by": "23", "jio_date": "2024-01-09 14:12:03", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": null, "article_content_type": null, "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-news\/six-skippers-officially-mark-the-start-of-sa20-at-captains-day-in-cape-town-135680" }