Pro20 Cup set to light up domestic season
Domestic white-ball cricket is set for an exciting new chapter in the 2026/27 season, with the newly rebranded and expanded Pro20 Cup set to bring T20 action to grounds across all nine provinces, as well as fans watching from home.
The Pro20 Cup combines the T20 Challenge and T20 Knockout competitions, creating a 16-team tournament that promises more cricket, more opportunities for players and more action for fans across South Africa.
Eight Division 1 teams, seven Division 2 sides and CSA Emerging team will battle it out over almost two months, with the inaugural Pro20 Cup champions to be crowned on 14 November.
All 71 matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport (47 Matches) or streamed on the CSA YouTube channel (24 matches) from 25 September to 14 November - an increase of 39 matches from the 32 Division 1 fixtures played last season.
The 16 teams will be divided into two groups of eight, with each pool comprising four Division 1 sides and four Division 2/CSA Emerging teams.
Each team will play the other seven sides in their pool once in a round-robin format, with the top four from each group advancing to the Super 8s stage.
The Super 8s will see the qualifiers face teams from the opposite pool, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals on Friday, 13 November.
The following day, the two finalists will meet to determine the inaugural Pro20 Cup champions and claim their place in the history of the new competition.
CSA Executive of Domestic Cricket, David Mokopanele, commented: “The Pro20 Cup represents an exciting new chapter for domestic cricket in South Africa.
“At its heart, the competition reflects our commitment to Access, Inclusion and Excellence by creating more opportunities for players across the domestic system to compete, develop and showcase their talent.
“Bringing Division 1 and Division 2 teams together in an expanded competition gives emerging players the opportunity to test themselves against established opposition, while taking professional cricket to more communities across the country.
“With 71 matches providing increased opportunities for players and more cricket for our fans, the Pro20 Cup is an important step in strengthening our domestic game.
“We look forward to seeing the competition bring our cricketing communities together and provide an exciting platform for players, teams and fans throughout the 2026/27 season.”
The new competition builds on the success of last season’s T20 Challenge and T20 Knockout campaigns.
The Division 1 final reached a thrilling climax in Paarl, where a Super Over was needed to separate Defabet Warriors and Dafabet Boland, with the Warriors claiming their first title in 15 years.
In Division 2, the Flexbrands Knights capped their impressive campaign by defeating Eastern Cape Iinyathi in Bloemfontein.
The defending Division 1 champions will get the Pro20 Cup underway when they face North West Dragons at SuperSport Park on Friday, while the same venue will later host a clash between Momentum Multiply Titans and YesPlay Western Province Cobras.
Saturday will see Northern Cape Heat host last season’s Division 2 runners-up Eastern Cape Iinyathi at Kimberley Oval.
Three matches are scheduled for Sunday, with Hollywoodbets Dolphins hosting DP World Lions in Durban, while Mpumalanga Rhinos welcome Momentum Multiply Titans to White River Country Club.
The evening fixture will see last season’s Division 2 champions, Flexbrands Knights, travel to YesPlay Newlands Cape Town to face the Cobras.
Other fixtures to watch include Boland hosting the Knights, Wenbro Impalas travelling to face the Warriors, CSA High Performance taking on Tuskers, Dolphins hosting Northern Cape Heat and World Sports Betting Eastern Storm facing the Rhinos.
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