3 SA20 league stars who could become undisputed starters even before the start of IPL 2023
The ongoing SA20 league has already unearthed several exciting talents, some of whom are already part of Indian Premier League (IPL) rosters.
MI Cape Town are at the top of the table right now, closely followed by the Pretoria Capitals and the Durban's Super Giants. Quinton de Kock is the leading run-scorer in the league, while Ottniel Baartman has scalped the most wickets. A few other players who are part of IPL 2023 sides have also been in action during the SA20 league.
Here are three SA20 league stars who could become undisputed starters for their respective IPL teams even before the start of the 2023 season.
#3 Rilee Rossouw
Rilee Rossouw has had an underwhelming start to his SA20 league campaign for the Pretoria Capitals. He has scores of 4 and 20 in his two games thus far, although the Capitals have established themselves as playoff contenders.
Rossouw will turn out for sister franchise Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023 after being snapped up for ₹4.6 crore in the auction held on December 23. He isn't expected to be part of DC's first-choice playing XI, but by the time the IPL season commences, things could be different.
DC desperately need a left-hander in their middle order, with Rishabh Pant all set to miss the entirety of 2023. Rossouw could thus be drafted into the side as one of the four overseas players, especially if he has a productive campaign in the SA20 league.
#2 Marco Jansen
Marco Jansen, on the other hand, has had a decent campaign in the SA20 league thus far. Playing for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the all-rounder has scalped a wicket in each of his games while playing two cameos with the bat.
Jansen's improved batting could be the biggest reason behind him turning out for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who retained him ahead of the auction, in IPL 2023. The Orange Army are a bit short of all-rounders and need someone to bat at No. 8 while beefing up the pace department.
The South African could fit the bill perfectly, since the likes of Fazalhaq Farooqi and the Indian options don't guarantee his prowess with the willow. Jansen is only 22 years old, and his stock is bound to rise significantly over the course of the SA20 league.
#1 Dewald Brevis
There is a reason why Dewald Brevis is rated so highly. This is just a small glimpse
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Dewald Brevis commenced his SA20 league campaign with a blistering unbeaten 70 against the Paarl Royals on the first day of the competition. While some holes in his technique have been exposed since then, he could become a frontline player for the Mumbai Indians by the time IPL 2023 comes around.
Brevis is part of a host of overseas batters on MI's roster, including Cameron Green, Tim David and Tristan Stubbs. He could steal a march over his countryman Stubbs if he continues to plunder runs for MI Cape Town at the top of the order.
Brevis' struggles against hard lengths and leg-lined full deliveries are fairly obvious now, but he has an entire tournament to sort out those weaknesses to a certain degree. He certainly has the pedigree to succeed at the IPL level, and he could have a breakthrough season for the five-time champions later this year.