Sunrisers stand in the way of Pretoria and a first SA20 title as the former look to win their third league title.
Sunrisers chase third SA20 title, Capitals their first as familiar foes meet in final.
The first SA20 final, in which Sunrisers Eastern Cape faced Pretoria Capitals on a reserve day in Johannesburg to start an incredible run of success in this championship, is repeated in the fourth final. Sunrisers have been in every SA20 final, winning two of the last three. When it comes to crucial games, history strongly benefits them, especially when their opponents have taken a different route.
The Capitals altered nearly every aspect of their roster for season four after failing to qualify for the playoffs in seasons two and three after finishing as losing finalists in season one. Surprisingly, Keshav Maharaj, a spin-bowling captain, was chosen by the Capitals’ new coaching staff of Sourav Ganguly and Shaun Pollock for a Highveld-based club, and he has led from the front.
In addition to being the Capitals’ top wicket-taker, he has an economy rate of 6.62, which is just over a run per ball from the 222 runs he has scored. This season, just five bowlers have been more frugal, and none of them have bowled more than eighteen overs.
Big hitters from the Caribbean have bookended Maharaj’s batting lineup, but Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope have both contributed and are among the competition’s top five run scorers. With an assault spearheaded by South African internationals Lungi Ngidi and Lizaad Williams and Dewald Brevis starting to find his rhythm, the Capitals have profited from a strong auction and might be the third club to win the SA20.
These clubs have successfully pushed one another throughout the season and appear to be well-matched on paper. The Capitals won the first qualifier to go directly to the final, while the Sunrisers won both league games. The only drawback is that since the game will take place in Cape Town in front of a sold-out Sunday audience, neither team will have the support of their local crowd.