The upcoming fourth season of the SA20 will begin on Boxing Day 2025, marking the start of an exciting new phase for the South African league. The season will be the first to launch during the Christmas week, capitalizing on South Africa’s prime cricket calendar, as there are no home Tests scheduled for the 2025-26 summer.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has also confirmed the windows for the next three seasons. Seasons five and six will start in the second week of January, likely on January 9, 2027, and January 9, 2028, respectively. Both seasons will run five to six days longer than the current edition.
While South Africa is touring India in November and December 2025, the SA20 will conclude by January 26, 2026, after which they will host West Indies for a T20I series. The new Boxing Day start time will affect player availability, with major clashes against the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), both of which usually begin in December. Additionally, the Ashes in Australia will run until January 8, which may see key players like Joe Root missing the start of the SA20 season.
SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith highlighted the importance of these window announcements, noting that it would provide certainty for all involved and allow for better planning within the global cricket calendar. He emphasized the opportunity for the league to capitalize on South Africa’s peak cricket season and public holidays, particularly with the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled for early February 2026.
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The longer windows in 2026-27 will help optimize scheduling, logistics, and the fan experience. Robin Peterson, head coach of MI Cape Town, supported the idea of more downtime between games, citing the current challenges of tight scheduling.
Here are the confirmed SA20 windows for the next three seasons:
Season Six: January 9 – February 13, 2028
Season Four: December 26, 2025 – January 26, 2026
Season Five: January 9 – February 14, 2027
