SA20 Playoffs Begin at Kingsmead as Sunrisers Chase a Third Title
Staff Writer
– January 20, 2026
2 min read
The SA20 has reached its business end, with the league stage completed with four teams funnelled into the knockout stages.
The Sunrisers Eastern Cape finished top of the standings ahead of the Pretoria Capitals, Paarl Royals, and Joburg Super Kings.
That order matters because the competition’s playoff format rewards the top two with a second chance. The first match, “Qualifier 1”, is scheduled for tomorrow at Kingsmead, with Sunrisers Eastern Cape set to meet Pretoria Capitals for a direct place in the final, which will be played on Sunday at Newlands in Cape Town.
A day later, on Thursday, the “Eliminator” takes place in Centurion, where Paarl Royals and Joburg Super Kings will play a straight knockout. The loser’s season is over but the winner will then go on to play the loser of Qualifier 1. This match, “Qualifier 2”, will be played at the Wanderers on Friday.
The winner of this match will then go through to Sunday’s final.
There is little to choose between the four teams although Sunrisers Eastern Cape will be confident of winning their third title in only the fourth edition of the tournament. The only other team to have ever won the tournament, Mumbai Indians Cape Town (who won last year’s edition), failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished bottom of the log this season.
