The SA20 league has emerged as one of the biggest domestic T20 tournaments in the world, and former South African pace legend Dale Steyn has shared a very strong reason behind it. Steyn said that the connection between SA20 and the IPL has played a huge role in bringing fans back to the stadiums and creating fresh excitement for cricket in South Africa.
The legendary fast bowler has noted that South Africa badly needed something like SA20 during the tough times after the COVID pandemic. He said that the launch of SA20 changed everything when the sports were taking the backseat, losing interest among the Proteas fans.
Now, the excitement around the SA20 tournament has continued to grow, and fans have accepted the league with great enthusiasm. Dale Steyn believes that the strong connection with the IPL has helped SA20 become a success in a short time.
All the SA20 franchises are owned by IPL teams, which have brought experience, better planning, and global attention to the tournament. Another important factor is the regular participation of South African players in the IPL.
Their performances in India have increased their popularity, and fans are excited to watch the same stars play back home in SA20, making it one of the most talked-about T20 tournaments in the world.
Dale Steyn said during a select media interaction organized by SA20: “South Africa’s relationship with India has been phenomenal. With the introduction of the SA20 and having Indian owners for Sunrisers Eastern Cape, MI Cape Town, etc., having that relationship feeds really well.”
Smart scheduling has become one of SA20's biggest strengths
The former South African speedster also believes one of the biggest strengths of SA20 is its smart planning and perfect schedule. He noted that Cricket South African (CSA) has made sure that its calendar does not clash with the IPL, allowing top white-ball stars to be fully available for the entire tournament.
Steyn, who recently made big prediction for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, feels this gives franchises complete clarity before the season begins. The SA20 teams don't have to worry about players leaving in the middle of the competition because of international matches or workload management.
Steyn also shared his thoughts on the idea of hosting an SA20 match in India, similar to plans for the Big Bash League (BBL). There have been reports that one BBL game of the next season would be played in Chennai to attract new fans to the Australian T20 league.
Dale Steyn strongly opposes the idea of taking SA20 matches to India
However, Dale Steyn is completely against this idea, as the biggest success of SA20 is the amazing support from South African fans who fill the stadiums every season. The former fast bowler has stressed that taking even one match away from them would not make much sense, especially when Indian fans already have the IPL, the biggest T20 league in the world.
Dale Steyn feels SA20 has finally found its identity in South Africa and should continue to grow where it has built such a strong connection with local supporters. Steyn believes that shifting games to another country could weaken that bond instead of making the tournament stronger, and SA20 doesn’t need such experiments at the moment.
VIDEO | Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn says Indian ownership in SA20 franchises and the strong cricketing relationship between India and South Africa have contributed significantly to the league’s success.He says, "South Africa's relationship with India has been… pic.twitter.com/8UPgCCxvY2
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 12, 2026He signed off by saying, “I would feel harsh to rob the South Africans of one game. But maybe the Big Bash is suffering a slow death, and they’re just trying to rejuvenate their competition by getting some support from India."
"I think the players will enjoy it—traveling to India and playing in Chennai. I don’t think that would be an option for the SA20. I think it’s doing really well in South Africa. And there’s a saying, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
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