SA20: What do this season's overseas stars bring?

In 2023, SA20 Commissioner Graeme Smith shared his vision with the cricket universe. He wanted the league to grow into the second-biggest T20 tournament after the IPL. Almost three years later, SA20 has a legitimate claim to that spot. The annual showpiece attracts the who's who of T20 cricket, as was shown by the names of players who put their names in the hat for the mini-auction held earlier this year.

The SA20 boasts the best local and international stars, including the mercurial Dinesh Karthik, who is set to become the first Indian player to participate in the tournament. Karthik is not the only big name in the league. Trent Boult, Kane Williamson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz are some of the names in the league.

The third season of the SA20 will kick off on January 9th, and we have decided to take a brief look at some of the overseas stars participating.

PAARL ROYALS - JOE ROOT & DINESH KARTHIK

T20 cricket is not the first thing one thinks of when Joe Root is mentioned. The Englishman is on track for test cricket immortality and is an outstanding ODI player. Root averages a respectable 32 at a strike rate of 127.59 in T20s. Boundaries are the currency of T20 cricket and he hits one every 6.42 balls.

If teams want to increase their chances of winning the title, they need to win at home. Boland Park is one of the lowest-scoring pitches and fours are high value. Root crunches a four every 7.39 balls he faces. Besides being suited to the ground, Root brings leadership acumen that David Miller will find useful as he captains the side.

Dinesh Karthik is one of two batters to score more than 900 runs at the death in the IPL in the past five years. No batter has scored as many runs as him. He has done so at the highest strike rate. When you widen the net to include batters with 800 or more runs, Karthik has the second-highest strike rate. The finisher averaged 29.58 runs at a strike of 187.33 in the tournament.

It is easy to look at these statistics and assume that Karthik swings at anything and everything. However, the finisher has developed a reputation for adapting well to conditions. A combination of Karthik and David Miller at numbers five and six will give the Royals better chances at taking games away from the opposition with the bat.

DURBAN SUPER GIANTS - KANE WILLIAMSON & CHRIS WOAKES

New Zealand fans call him Mr Steady the Ship. Kiwi fans revere him so much they wear silly hats in honour of him. Sunrisers Hyderabad fans were heartbroken when the IPL franchise let him go after the 2022 season. They remembered how the New Zealander took over mid-season and shepherded them to the final. His value to the Durban Super Giants dressing room is immeasurable.

Williamson's value is not just one-dimensional. The top-order batter is one of the best anchors in T20 cricket. He is one of the best at holding together an innings while the more attacking batters play expansive shots. Williamson does not do this while going at a negative strike rate, he goes at a decent 125.8, which is also vital at Kingsmead, the other low-scoring stadium in the league.

Lance Klusener is a student of the Bob Woolmer school in respect to allrounders. The DSG coach likes his team to have plenty of bowling options and batting depth. This helps sides with flexible and higher chances of winning the title. Chris Woakes is one of the most sought-after bowling allrounders in T20 cricket. What he brings with the bat is a bonus to his bowling attributes.

Woakes is a brilliant powerplay bowler. The Englishman has delivered 211 powerplay overs in T20 cricket at an economy of 7.3 for an average of 28.7 at a strike rate of 23.5. Woakes has 53 wickets in the first six overs. He will give the DSG bowling attack the incisiveness they need early on.

PRETORIA CAPITALS - JIMMY NEESHAM & RAHMANULLAH GURBAZ

Jimmy Neesham once described himself as someone who doesn't just embrace big moments of the game, he has a strong desire to be involved in them. This has made him one of the best finishers on the T20 circuit. He is outstanding at numbers 5, 6, and 7. The New Zealander averages 23.2 at an incredible 167.1 in the death overs.

With the ball, he has an arsenal of deliveries that keep his side in the contest and can help his team win matches. He has a respectable average of 16.1 at a strike rate of 9.4. These figures are supported by an economy of 10.3.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz was one of only two openers who registered three half-centuries at the 2024 T20 World Cup, the other one was Rohit Sharma. The Afghanistan opener finished the tournament with the highest run tally and bragging rights for hitting the most sixes. In fact, Afghanistan’s campaign with the bat was built around his opening partnership with Ibrahim Zadran. The duo scored most of Afghanistan's runs at the event. For the most part, it looked as if the Afghans only had two batters. So instead of playing his natural attacking game, Gurbaz went at a strike rate of 124.34.

Gurbaz averages 23.9 at a strike rate of 152.3 on the T20 circuit. He is a high-impact batter. He will give the Pretoria Capitals a lot of impetus at the top. The Capitals did not do well with the bat in the powerplay and Gurbaz will be a great boon for them.

EASTERN CAPE SUNRISERS - ZAK CRAWLEY & CRAIG OVERTON

In 2023, an Australian newspaper carried a back-page mock-up of Zak Crawley in robes and a crown, sitting on a throne. They captioned it the King of Bazball. This is the first thing that comes to mind for most people when they think of Crawley. An accomplished test cricketer on the frontline of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes' Bazball revolution.

However, the Englishman is more than that. He is an all-format cricketer who boasts a T20 century for Kent. Crawley averages 25.9 at a strike rate of 135.1. Over the past two years, the opener has added shots more suited to the shorter format to his repertoire. He has invested in developing his power-hitting game too. His profile as a white ball player is in line with coach Adi Birrell's preference at the top of the order. St George's Park has one of the lowest-scoring surfaces in the powerplay, and having an opener with a solid test defence who can score at a decent rate is a win.

The Sunrisers have one of the best bowling line-ups in the league. Marco Jansen and Ottniel Baartman are among South Africa's best pacers. Roelof van der Merwe singlehandedly spun them to the title in season one. All they needed, after Dan Worrall's absence in 2025, was someone to share the new ball with Jansen.

Since 2021, Overton has delivered 139.4 overs in the powerplay at an economy of 7.8, and an average of 22.1 at a strike rate of 17.5. These are good numbers, by all accounts.

He is also a useful middle-overs bowler. Since 2021, Overton has bowled 41.5 overs between the seventh and 15th over for an average of 17.3. Here, he concedes at an economy of 7.5 runs an over and strikes every 13.8 deliveries.

MI CAPE TOWN - BEN STOKES & TRENT BOULT

Andre Russell was one of the best allrounders in T20 cricket. The big West Indian won games with bat and ball for his franchises in crucial matches. He was the ultimate cricketer. Ben Stokes is the closest the cricket world has come to replicating Russell. The Englishman is the kind of player you want in your line-up.

Stokes is one of the most sought-after allrounders, which is why the Chennai Super Kings signed him for the 2023 IPL season despite the fact that he last played a full season in 2020. The only reason he was not considered for the 2025 season is that he declined to enter the auction. It is understandable why teams want him. Stokes averages 24.6 at a strike rate of 134. These are not shabby figures. He also has two centuries and as many 50s in the league.

The Englishman is a proponent of attacking cricket with the bat and will fit in nicely into the MICape Town side, which is one of the most attacking outfits. However, one of his biggest attributes is his big match temperament. Stokes has delivered for England under pressure across formats. He also brings leadership acumen to the side.

Last year, MICape Town took 16 wickets in the powerplay. Kagiso Rabada bagged six of them. The other 10 were spread across four bowlers; Sam Curran, Nuwan Thushara, Beuran Hendricks and George Linde. They all took turns in sharing the new ball with Rabada. The Proteas star had to do a lot of the early work alone. It was an unbearable burden.

In 2025, he will have a dependable new ball partner in Trent Boult. The 2024 season of the IPL was the highest-scoring season ever. Opening batters were running amok. In this madness, Boult delivered 38 overs (the second-most in the season) at an economy of 7.03 and a strike rate of 19. These are numbers of an elite performer.

The New Zealander has taken 124 wickets with an economy of 7.17 in the powerplay in T20s and T20Is combined. He is one of the most sought-after bowlers because of his arsenal of deliveries and value-add to teams.