SA20 2027: Teams, Schedule, Format & Venue Details

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced the schedule of SA20 2027. The fifth season of South Africa's premier domestic T20 tournament will get underway on January 17 in Gqeberha and will culminate with the summit clash on February 21 in Cape Town.

The curtain-raiser will be played between the defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and Pretoria Capitals at St George's Park, essentially a rematch of the final of the 2026 edition.

The Qualifier 1 will be held at Boland Park, which is the home ground of Paarl Royals. It is the first time since the inception of the tournament that the venue is set to host a playoff fixture.

The Wanderers in Johannesburg will host the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, whereas Newlands (Cape Town) will host the summit clash.

"The Paarl fans have been some of the most passionate supporters of the league," SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith said in a statement, "so I'm excited that we are finally able to give them a playoff in the form of Q1."

SA20 Playoff format

SA20's playoff format is identical to that of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The top two teams on the points table at the end of the league stage qualify directly for Qualifier 1, whereas the third and fourth placed sides take on each other in the Eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 1 directly advances into the final showdown. 

The loser of Qualifier 1 then squares off against the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2. The winner of Qualifier 2 gets the opportunity to meet the winner of Qualifier 1 in the finals.

SA20 2027 Schedule

SA20 Season 5 - Playoffs & Final