The second edition of the Telkom Future Cup ready to leave no stone unturned when it comes to unearthing talent

The well-rounded development journey continues, this time with the Telkom Future Cup, taking place from 1-29 November, in both the T20 and 50-over formats of the game.

The Lions Cricket/Telkom partnership reinforces a shared commitment to bridging the gap between amateur and professional cricket through a robust, inclusive and all-encompassing pipeline programme: The Telkom Talent Acceleration Programme. Under this programme, talent is identified and accelerated; with lives and communities genuinely and whole-heartedly changing along the way.

The Telkom Future Cup is one such initiative that falls under the umbrella of the Telkom Talent Acceleration Programme, providing more match time and experience, helping to ease the transition between school and professional cricket; and providing guidance for a well-rounded development journey.

Cricket Services Manager of Lions Cricket, Reuben Mandlazi says that the Telkom Future Cup continues to be a programme that provides fresh opportunities: “I am excited about the Telkom Future Cup Season 2 and the endless possibilities it brings to our cricket eco-system. The competition continues to play a pivotal role in different spaces within our cricket pipeline. For the young U19’s, this will add value to their preparation ahead of the much-anticipated Khaya Majola week in Bloemfontein in December while also show casing their talents to the Lions feeder pipeline. This will be the same for our universities and Rural team who all have major events ahead of them at the end of the year. For the club players who will be representing the CGL club XI selected team, there couldn’t be a better way to recognize good performances so early on in the season than to be selected to play in the tournament.

“The ladies section of the Telkom Future Cup will commence in January 2026, with the club selected team playing against the emerging ladies team as well as the combined team. The schedule provides performing players the opportunity to showcase their talents and push for places in the top teams. For the emerging team, this will be an opportunity to prepare for the Global Cricket Tournament which will take place in Pretoria from 16-18 January 2026 in a 20 over format.

“A big Thank You to Telkom for their continued support and assistance in creating an enabling environment for all the players and coaches to show case their talents. We are looking forward to some exhilarating cricket throughout the competition.”

Echoing Mandlazi’s sentiment, Lions Cricket CEO Jono Leaf-Wright says it’s also about driving genuine impact: “All of this is pushed from the bottom up – our Hubs, Telkom Talent Acceleration Programme, Telkom Lions Academy and multiple leagues spanning quality schools, universities, and clubs, backed by dedicated coaches, parents and partners. With Telkom by our side, we’ve been able to make a genuine impact to elevate our eco-system and grow good players into great people. This tournament helps bridge the performance gap between amateur and professional cricket, making the transition easier for tomorrows superstars.”

Teams competing in the tournament include the Telkom Academy; CGL Club XI, CGL Rural Team; Lions Under-19; University of Johannesburg (UJ) and the University of the Witswatersrand (Wits). Venue’s span across Delfos CC; Meyerton; Wits and UJ.