New Delhi, Sep 2 : Two-time defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town will kick-start season three of SA20 at St. George's Park in Gqeberha on January 9, 2025. The tournament will end with the final to be played on February 8 at the iconic Wanderers in Johannesburg.

The fixtures for SA20 season three were unveiled in Johannesburg on Monday in the presence of League Commissioner, Graeme Smith and players from the six franchise teams. The season opener will see Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen from the Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) start their unprecedented bid for a hat-trick of titles by hosting MI Cape Town (MICT), who have Ben Stokes and Trent Boult in their ranks.

Last season's runners-up Durban's Super Giants (DSG) will play against Pretoria Capitals (PC) at Kingsmead on January 10. The match will see New Zealand batter Kane Williamson in action for DSG, while PC will welcome speedster Anrich Nortje, who missed Season Two due to a back injury.

Paarl Royals (PR), who boast of young Kwena Maphaka and veteran Dinesh Karthik, begin their campaign against SEC at the picturesque Boland Park before Joburg Super Kings (JSK), witnessing the reunion of Faf du Plessis and Devon Conway in yellow jersey, take on MICT under lights at Bullring on January 11.

It will be followed by PC taking on DSG at Centurion on January 12. As the season progresses, it will eventually lead into the Play-off stages. SA20 season three retains the same Play-off structure from Season 2, but this time, the Play-offs will be played at three venues.

The top two teams will play each other in Qualifier 1, followed by the Eliminator between the third and fourth-placed teams. The loser of Qualifier 1 and the winner of the Eliminator will battle it out in Qualifier 2, for a chance to book their place in the Final, against the winner of Qualifier 1.

St. George's Park in Gqeberha will host Qualifier 1, while Centurion will stage both the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, followed by the Wanderers hosting the title clash on February 8. 'Season 3 is set to be bigger and better, with a fantastic lineup of matches that will captivate our fans.'

'We're thrilled to start the season in Gqeberha with our defending champions and look forward to an action-packed summer of cricket. As we welcome international talent to the roaring pool of local stars, we aim to deliver an unforgettable experience for both players and fans alike,' concluded Smith.

/IANS