It is a new season, and the teams will come up with fresh strategies to do well in the tournament. While the previous seasons' performance isn't likely to have a major outcome, it is worth mentioning them. Here's how the six sides had fared in the tournament last year.
# Sunrisers Eastern Cape
Aiden Markram has led the team to consecutive titles in the first two seasons of the tournament. The Eastern Cape skipper will look to make it three in a row. They dominated the tournament last season, finishing at the top of the table and following it with dominating performances in the playoffs and finals. They are one of the favorites to win the title this year and have a star-studded team with players like Zak Crawley, Tom Abell, Liam Dawson, Marco Jansen, and Roelof van der Merwe. The team has the right combination to win their third title.
Squad: Aiden Markram (c), Zak Crawley, Jordan Hermann, Tom Abell, Liam Dawson, Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger, Craig Overton, David Bedingham, Daniel Smith, Tristan Stubbs, Okuhle Cele, Simon Harmer, Ottneil Baartman, Richard Gleeson, Caleb Seleka, Andile Simelane, Beyers Swanepoel, Roelof van der Merwe
# Durban Super Giants
The Super Giants were the second-best team last season. However, they failed to overcome the challenge the Sunrisers Eastern Cape threw at them in the final, losing by a big margin. Keshav Maharaj would like to draw positives from last year as he leads his team in this new season. They have some of the world's biggest names in T20 cricket and shall look to get the best performances out of Brandon King, Kane Williamson, Heinrich Klaasen, Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul-Haq, and Dwaine Pretorius. They will be a tough side to beat with the kind of strength in the top order.
Squad: Keshav Maharaj (c), Brandon King, Kane Williamson, Jason Smith, JJ Smuts, Marcus Stoinis, Christopher King, Wiaan Mulder, Chris Woakes, Dwaine Pretorius, Prenelan Subrayen, Bryce Parsons, Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, Heinrich Klaasen, Shamar Joseph, Noor Ahmad, Naveen ul-Haq, Junior Dala
# Paarl Royals
In the last two seasons, the Paarl Royals have come close to winning the title but missed out narrowly. David Miller wants to end the team's record of succumbing to pressure in crunch games. Miller is one of the best players in this format and must lead from the front. The side doesn't have the same batting firepower as some other teams, and Miller would like to get the best out of his bowling attack. The team has several matchwinners and can expect good performances from Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bjorn Fortuin, Lungi Ngidi, Dinesh Karthik, and Sam Hain.
Squad: David Miller (c), Mitchell Van Buuren, Sam Hain, Joe Root, Dewan Marais, Dayyaan Galiem, Dunith Wellalage, Codi Yusuf, Andile Phehlukwayo, Rubin Hermann, Dinesh Karthik, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Keith Dudgeon, Bjorn Fortuin, Eshan Malinga, Kwena Maphaka, Nqabayomzi Peter, Lungi Ngidi
# Pretoria Capitals
Wayne Parnell takes over as the skipper for this season, and he would like the team to make a good start. It was a poor tournament for the team last season, where they failed to reach the playoffs, winning three out of 10 games. The side made a poor start and never recovered from there. They have one of the strongest batting line-ups in the tournament and shall look to do well this season. The key players are Liam Livingstone, Evin Lewis, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rilee Rossouw, and Anrich Nortje, and they must do well. They have the resources to go the distance and shall be one of the teams to watch out for.
Squad: Wayne Parnell (c), Marques Ackerman, Evin Lewis, Steve Stolk, Tiaan van Vuuren, Rilee Rossouw, Will Smeed, Liam Livingstone, Will Jacks, Senuran Muthusamy, James Neesham, Kyle Simmonds, Migael Pretorius, Keagan Lion Cachet, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Kyle Verreynne, Anrich Nortje, Daryn Dupavillon, Eathan Bosch
# Joburg Super Kings
Faf du Plessis' side has been among the favorites in the last two seasons, but the team hasn't delivered the results. The Super Kings' skipper is the most experienced player in the tournament, having played worldwide. While they have been consistent on the league stage, they have failed to deliver strong performances in the playoffs. Faf du Plessis will look to put the upsets behind him and expects good performances from players like Leus de Plooy, Moeen Ali, Gerald Coetzee, and Imran Tahir. They have several all-rounders in the side and shall look to leverage this strength heading into the game.
Squad: Faf du Plessis (c), Leus de Plooy, Evan Jones, Sibonelo Makhanya, Moeen Ali, Wihan Lubbe, David Wiese, JP King, Jonny Bairstow, Devon Conway, Donovan Ferreira, Matheesha Pathirana, Tabraiz Shamsi, Gerald Coetzee, Doug Bracewell, Beuran Hendricks, Imran Tahir, Maheesh Theekshana, Hardus Viljoen
# MI Cape Town
The team has finished at the bottom of the points table for two consecutive seasons. The side managed to win three out of 10 games last year, mirroring its performance in 2023. Rashid Khan would like a turnaround this season. He is an aggressive player and likes leading from the front. They have several big names in the squad and shall expect Rassie van der Dussen, George Linde, Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada, and Azmatullah Omarzai to stand up to the challenge and do well in the tournament. A good start will be a must for the side, and it will be interesting to see how they shape up for the season.
Squad: Rashid Khan (c), Colin Ingram, Dewald Brevis, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Thomas Kaber, George Linde, Delago, Potgieter, Corbin Bosch, Azmatullah Omarzai, Connor Esterhuizen, Chris Benjamin, Ryan Rickelton, Trent Boult, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Nuwan Thushara
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