Dale Steyn hails SA20 as the world's second-best league, crediting its success to fans returning post-pandemic. He also heaps praise on 15-year-old Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, predicting he will be bigger than Sachin and Kohli.
SA20 has 'second spot' among T20 leagues
Former South African cricketer Dale Steyn expressed on the growth of SA20 after four seasons, saying that it has the "second spot" among all cricket leagues in the world, adding that the competition has "given it back to the fans who had been salivating for good cricket".
Steyn was recently speaking during an interaction facilitated by SA20 in the lead-up to Season 5, which will take place from January next year. SA20, after another successful festive season, is heading into its fifth edition, and, for Steyn, the crowds have been the single biggest differentiating factor from other T20 leagues.
According to Steyn, SA20 helped bring the nation and its fans back to cricket after the pandemic. "South Africa has been desperate for cricket, and SA20 has given it back to the fans and the spectators, and they have grabbed it with both hands. They have been salivating for good cricket. What's happened now is the spectators are delivering; they are coming back season after season, supporting their teams. Each city is trying to outdo another city, and the small city of Gqeberha has been the shining star. They have outdone Cape Town; they have outdone the big cities of Johannesburg and Durban," he said.
"These players thrive on big sellout stadiums and, and that is why we have seen some remarkable performances and why we have probably seen Sunrisers Eastern Cape take the cake a few times because their crowd has been so fantastic and their players have just responded so well," Steyn added.
The fifth season of SA20 will begin on January 9, 2027, and run until February 14.
'South Africa has always produced great white-ball players'
Steyn also spoke on the culture of South African cricket, which he says has "always produced great white-ball players" and due to this, they are always expected to go deep into ICC Cricket World Cups and T20 World Cups, if not win it.
"South Africa's always provided great white-ball cricket players. That has been like a culture that South Africa has created. It is just to continue doing that. Although we have not won a 50-over World Cup or a T20 World Cup, we have always been one of the teams that go into that competition with high expectations of winning or at least making the finals and if not winning the competition," he said.
Steyn on 'boy wonder' Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
Steyn also heaped praises on India's 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, saying that "he is going to explode" and is going to be bigger than Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, two of India's most prolific run-getters, when his career ends.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is a different gravy man. He's better than most international players right now. He is a boy wonder, somebody that Indian cricket really has a treasure. You think of guys like Sachin, Virat, and this kid is going to explode. He's going to be bigger than both of them put together at the end of his career. So, I would caution to look after him well enough because with great talent comes great responsibility," he signed off.
Sooryavanshi had a generational IPL season for Rajasthan Royals (RR), emerging as the Orange Cap winner, the season's MVP and highest six hitter. He scored 776 runs in 16 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 237.50, including a century, five fifties and 72 sixes. Due to his exploits, he has been included in the India squads for Ireland and England T20Is, making him the youngest to get an Indian call-up.
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