SA20 is one of the most entertaining franchise T20 leagues, held annually in South Africa. The inaugural edition of the tournament took place in 2023, with Sunrisers Eastern Cape winning the trophy after defeating Pretoria Capitals in the final. Over the past few years, this tournament has gained immense popularity among Proteas fans and has become one of the most-watched tournaments worldwide.
While players often forget about on-field altercations after the match, these incidents become a topic of discussion in the cricketing world. SA20 is no exception, and some controversies have rocked the tournament over the past few years. With that in mind, here are the top five controversies in the history of SA20.
1. Kieron Pollard on rain delays / wasted time
Mi capetowns are delaying to bowl and are stopping in between because if 5 overs aren’t over, the game wont be counted. Faf is pissed on Rabada and Pollard. Absolute scenes out here. pic.twitter.com/HuVSGn9kXS
— Sergio (@SergioCSKK) January 29, 2024
In the 2024 edition of the South African franchise tournament, Kieron Pollard was accused of deliberately wasting time. In a rain-affected match, the Joburg Super Kings needed 98 runs to win in 8 overs. Faf du Plessis and Leus du Plooy were batting aggressively against the MI team. Having scored 57 runs in three overs, they were almost certain to win the match and were well ahead of the DLS par score. In Kagiso Rabada's fourth over, MI captain Kieron Pollard instructed the bowler to begin his run-up and then stop at the last moment, deliberately wasting time.
According to the rules, at least five overs must be bowled in a match for a result to be determined using the DLS method. Therefore, Kieron was attempting to waste time so that rain could interrupt the match again before the five overs were completed. Du Plessis was furious about the incident and criticized the MI captain for his unsportsmanlike conduct. The incident drew the attention of many cricket fans, who criticized Pollard's unsportsmanlike tactics on the micro-blogging platform X (formerly Twitter). Ultimately, the Super Kings won the match.
2. Zainab Abbas collision with fielders
"This is coming straight for us.." 🫣@ZAbbasOfficial, you good? 🤣@CapeTownCityFC your manager somehow avoided the contact! pic.twitter.com/32YPcfLCMf
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) January 18, 2023
During a match between Sunrisers Eastern Cape and MI Cape Town in Centurion in the 2023 edition, Pakistani anchor Zainab Abbas fell to the ground after colliding with a fielder. Abbas was commentating on the match just outside the boundary rope. In the 13th over of Eastern Cape's innings, Marco Jansen played a lofted shot towards mid-wicket off Sam Curran's bowling. As two fielders ran to stop the ball, they collided with her. Although she fell to the ground, she was not injured and escaped the incident unharmed.
3. Temba Bavuma unsold SA20 auction
South African captain Temba Bavuma went unsold in the SA20 2025 auction held in October 2024. Despite being one of the most sought-after players in the auction, none of the six franchises showed any interest in acquiring him. His absence from the tournament became a topic of discussion, with many experts debating whether the franchises had overlooked consistent performers in favor of big-name players.
4. Rashid Khan vs Richard Gleeson fight
MI Cape Town and Sunrisers Eastern Cape faced each other in the final of the 2025 edition. Rashid Khan, who was captaining Cape Town in the match, got into a heated argument with Richard Gleeson. The altercation began when Gleeson said something to Rashid after dismissing him, which the Afghan spinner did not appreciate. When Rashid confronted him while walking off the field, the umpires had to intervene and separate them.
5. Heinrich Klaasen's laser incident
During the SA20 2024 match between Durban Super Giants and MI Cape Town, the game was briefly halted after a fan shone a laser light onto the pitch. The incident occurred in the second innings when Durban Super Giants were chasing a target of 208 runs for victory. In Kagiso Rabada's 10th over, the match was stopped due to a disturbance in the crowd. Commentators later reported that a fan was shining a laser light onto the pitch, distracting batsman Heinrich Klaasen. Although the incident lasted only a few minutes, it garnered significant media attention.
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