SA20 2023: Paarl Royals and MI Cape Town to face off in opening game, full schedule announced

The newly introduced and much anticipated SA20 will kick off on January 10 (Tuesday), at Newlands Cricket Ground and the inaugural season opener will be played between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals, which are the franchises owned by the Indian Premier League franchises Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals.

With just two months remaining before the premier T20 League of South Africa kicks off, the schedule and fixtures of the entire tournament were announced on November 8, Tuesday and the event will witness 33 matches being played across six venues in South Africa. In India, Viacom18 Sports will stream all the matches.

With a glamorous lineup that features Kagiso Rabada of the Proteas, the master spinner Rashid Khan of Afghanistan, Liam Livingstone of England, and the young and sensational Dewald Brevis of South Africa, among others, the MI Cape Town will try to intrigue the Newlands crowd.

Jos Buttler, the captain of England's T20I and ODI side, and his teammates Jason Roy and Eoin Morgan, who helped their side win the 2019 World Cup, are the headliners of the Royals' equally impressive lineup. David Miller, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi are a part of the Royals’ squad, and they will all be mentored by their coach JP Duminy.

Can’t wait to watch the world’s best go head-to-head: Graeme Smith

“Releasing fixtures for the opening season is a milestone for us all at SA20. It’s all getting very real, we certainly can’t wait to watch the world’s best go head-to-head. Fans can look forward to the blockbuster schedule kicking off with the popular local derby between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals on 10 January,” League Commissioner Graeme Smith said.

“Fans will be able to watch the best local and international T20 stars live in action at prime viewing times for the afternoon and evening matches. This is also an ideal broadcasting slot ensuring viewers around the world can also keep up with the enthralling entertainment,” he further added.

It will be a treat to the eyes for all the cricket fans across the world as there won’t be a gap in the schedule until January 24. It will be a brand new experience for the South African fans as every team will be playing five home and five away matches, and the summit clash will be played on February 11, Saturday, as the world will get the first-ever SA20 champions.

Here's the complete schedule: