Joburg Super Kings are one of the three teams who have been into the playoffs for both the SA20 seasons so far. They finished semi-finalists in the inaugural edition and were knocked out in Qualifier 2 last year. Continuing under Faf du Plessis' leadership, they hope to at least make it one better this time around.
Towards that objective, Joburg Super Kings have invested in bringing in experience to take that extra step. “We’ve had some great signings in Jonny Bairstow, Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana. Those three guys and (Tabraiz) Shamsi are four proper cricket players. All in all our squad is very balanced,” Du Plessis said on the eve of the tournament, which gets going on 9 January.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!For JSK, the biggest hurdle coming into the season was the string of injuries to bowlers. Gerald Coetzee had been ruled out of the international summer due to a groin injury. He had also missed the second season for the franchise with a pelvic inflammation. This time, Faf and rest of the franchise would be hoping he remains injury free.
The franchise have already lost seamers Nandre Burger and Lizaad Williams to injury.
In the spin bowling department, JSK have Tabraiz Shamsi and Moeen who are certains for the playing XI. Then Imran Tahir or Lizaad Williams can come in as the conditions.
With the bowling weakened, the batting will have plenty to do to give the bowlers something to defend. The onus of that will lie on Bairstow, Conway, Faf, Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, who AB de Villiers has dubbed as the "next South African ABD", Moeen Ali and David Wiese.
The new beginningsThree in four of Joburg Super Kings' new faces to SA20 are experienced cricketers. Barring Rookie all-rounder JP King, the franchise have brought to their midst England wicketkeeper-batter Bairstow, New Zealand opener Conway and Sri Lanka's Pathirana (the team's Wildcard).
Auction activity
At the auction, Joburg Super Kings spent R175,000 each on allrounders Wihan Lubbe and Evan Jones. Both Lubbe and Jones were with Paarl Royals in the past.
Super Kings also signed New Zealand allrounder Doug Bracewell for his base price of R175,000. Bracewell had been with the franchise last season, coming in as a replacement player for Romario Shepherd.
Joburg Super Kings squadMoeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Doug Bracewell, Gerald Coetzee, Devon Conway, Faf du Plessis, Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, Beuran Hendricks, Evan Jones, JP King, Wihan Lubbe, Sibonelo Makhanya, Matheesha Pathirana, Tabraiz Shamsi, Imran Tahir, Maheesh Theekshana, Hardus Viljoen, David Wiese
Joburg Super Kings SA20 record2023: Semi-finals
2024: Qualifier 2
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