CSA T20 Challenge: Players to Watch and Bet On

Cricket South Africa’s T20 Challenge gets underway on Friday, as the six franchises battle it out in the week-long tournament, in a hopefully dry Durban. With the Proteas mostly all back playing for their franchises, this is an opportunity for domestic players to stand up and be noticed ahead of a T20 world Cup later this year. Here, I discuss one bowler and one batsman from each team to look out for in the tournament.

The Proteas – Plotting The Path to World Cup 2023

The tournament will see doubleheaders almost daily, which is a treat for us fans. We’ve added the odds for each player for their first match of the tournament. The T20 Challenge gets underway on Friday at 10 am, between the Knights and Titans, followed by the Dolphins vs. Cobras at 2.30 pm.

Lions

Sisanda Magala

Having been a consistent performer for the Lions, Sisanda Magala has earned a couple of call-ups to the national team but is unfortunately still waiting for his international debut. Relying on accuracy, variation and consistency over pace (although he can crank it up), he boasts an incredibly good bowling average of 23.79 in domestic T20 cricket and will be hoping for a fruitful tournament which will finally open the door for a Proteas debut in white-ball cricket.

Ryan Rickelton

Having just been on tour with the national team to Pakistan, Ryan Rickelton will be eager to get onto the park and make a valuable contribution to the Lions. A supremely talented top-order batsman in the mould of Quinton de Kock, Rickelton has the potential to take the game away from the opposition. Having been in good form and also able to score at a rapid rate, he is a valued member of his team.

Titans

Simon Harmer

Having recently returned to South African cricket after the lucrative Kolpak policy ended, Simon Harmer has joined the Titans for the T20 Challenge. Having been incredibly successful in country cricket, most notably spinning Essex to victory in the county championship in 2017, he now has ambitions of representing South Africa once again. He will be looking to impress with both bat and ball in this tournament, especially with a T20 World cup in India just six months away.

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Aiden Markram

After having a good tour of Pakistan, Aiden Markram will be hoping to carry his good form into the shortest format and get the Titans off to a flier in this tournament. A stylish and attractive batsman, Markram has all the shots in the book and is able to take the attack to any team. With eight T20 fifties under his belt, and a highest score of 82, could he get to that elusive T20 century in this tournament?

Cobras

Corbin Bosch

Having recently joined the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras, Corbin Bosch is hopeful of gaining experience under the coaching of Ashwell Prince and make important contributions to the Cobras. A useful all-rounder, who can strike early with the ball, Bosch will be hopeful of getting his team off to good starts with the ball and score useful lower-order runs with the bat.

Kyle Verreynne

A very talented young wicket-keeping batsman, Kyle Verreynenne is a dream player for any captain. Energetic no matter what he’s doing, a true fighter, he is always ready for a battle and to get his team to a good position, whether it’s in the field or with his positive middle-order batting, where he has a healthy strike rate of over 120. Showing that he is not overburdened by the pressures of international cricket, Verreynne will be looking to put in a solid performance in this tournament to get onto that plane to India in six months.

Warriors

Marco Jansen

A young left-arm fast bowler, Marco Jansen earned his call up to the Proteas national squad earlier this year. For someone just 20 years old, he already has a wealth of experience, having played at under-19 level on the tour of India and will be looking to use all this experience to bowl his way into contention for national call up for the T20 World Cup with a stand-out performance in this tournament.

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Wihan Lubbe

A useful top-order batsman, with the ability to bowl some part-time spin, Wihan Lubbe is a crucial member of the Warriors, who has a T20 century to his name. Being instrumental in Durban Heat’s maiden MSL win in 2019, Lubbe has an impressive strike rate of 139 and will be looking to take that same form into the T20 Challenge for the Warriors.

Dolphins

Keegan Petersen

Having been given his national call up a couple of times now, Keegan Petersen has been in great form domestically for multiple seasons now. An aggressive top-order batsman, and a useful part-time spinner, and playing at his home ground, he’ll be looking to show the national selectors what he has to offer, and in the process ensure the Dolphins have a successful tournament. He is more favoured in the longer form of the game but this is still a chance to impress selectors.

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Andile Phehlukwayo

Having struggled for consistency and form in recent times on the big stage, Andile Phehlukwayo needs to rediscover the basics and get back to his impressive ways. A destructive lower-order batsman, he is able to hit big and win matches on top of being an incredibly crucial death bowler. He has an exceptionally good change of pace and bowls with good variation, that’s his bog strengths. He will be looking to knuckle down and put in the hard work and have a successful tournament.

Knights

Raynard van Tonder

A young and exciting player, who simply oozes talent, Raynard van Tonder has been in exceptional form for the Knights, who scores runs for fun which has got Proteas fans to take notice of him. At 22 years old, this impressive opening batsman has something about which says he is class. He will be looking to replicate his impressive first-class stats into the shorter format and get the Knights off to a brisk start and set a solid platform and get more fans to take notice of his talent.

Migael Pretorius

Having the ability to bowl with good pace and having all-round skills, Migael Pretorius is an integral member of the Knights. His domestic T20 record is impressive, averaging 21.47 and an economy of under 8. The Knights will be looking to him to get them off to promising starts and there is no doubt, he’ll be ready.