'SA20 always learning from IPL': Faf du Plessis says domestic player availability makes SA league of 'high standard'

Joburg Super Kings (JSK) captain Faf du Plessis said that SA20 is always learning from the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which he called the best T20 competition in the world. He also said that SA20 is also of very high standard because all the domestic Proteas star are available to play the tournament.

“I think the first thing that’s important for every league to be at a really high standard is for the international players (to be available). The domestic international players, all the South Africans playing for South Africa, playing in the tournament, that takes the competition at a very high standard,” the former South Africa captain answered to a query by Firstpost on the JioStar Press Room ahead of SA20 Season 4 which begins Friday, December 26.

“Other competitions around the world, you don’t always get all the national players to play, so I think that’s a big thing for the SA20,” du Plessis added.

IPL is the ‘main tournament’

When asked how does SA20 compare to the IPL, du Plessis said that the South African league is still learning things from the Indian tournament.

“Compared to the IPL, obviously the IPL has always been the main tournament around the world. You get all the international players. There’s a window for every country around the world for those 12 weeks. Everyone’s available to play, so naturally you would have a standard that is superior. When it comes to the Indian players, obviously for the SA20, they’re also not available here,” du Plessis said.

He said that Graeme Smith, the commissioner of the SA20 league, always talks about learning from the best.

“If you speak to someone like Graeme Smith, they would say to you that they’re always learning from the IPL and the way that they’ve taken the 15 years of setting up a world-class league. Certainly, we as the players can feel that,” du Plessis added.

He also said that the South African competition has a lot of IPL vibes to it. All six teams in the SA20 league have Indian owners who already have franchises in IPL.

“The first year of SA20, there was that IPL feel to it. Obviously, all the owners are involved with the teams, but the management, the physios, the production, everyone and everything feels at a world-class level. It’s certainly at the same level as that with the IPL, but the IPL will always be the tournament that’s been the biggest T20 in the world,” said du Plessis.

Du Plessis’ JSK open their campaign on Saturday, December 27 against Pretoria Capitals. The final of SA20 season four will take place on January 25.

Catch all the action from SA20 Season 4, December 26 2025 - January 25 2026, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network