Cricket South Africa on Friday confirmed the dates and fixtures for the T20 Challenge, which will be held at Kingsmead in Durban.
The country’s six franchises will go head to head from 19-28 February in a single-round tournament.
As with the Momentum One-Day Cup, it will be held in a bio-secure environment.
‘We are delighted to have finalised the details of the CSA T20 Challenge,’ said CSA director of cricket Graeme Smith.
‘It has taken a lot of hard work and planning during these tough times to ensure that all the criteria is met to stage a successful tournament. We look forward to the event in Durban on the back of what has been a very well-organised Momentum One-Day Cup in a bio-secure environment in Potchefstroom.
‘As we have seen, successful bio-bubbles will be key to the future of cricket for the foreseeable future and our aim is to put the health and safety of players before anything else. We have shown that during the 50-over competition.’
The competition will give players the opportunity to seal their spots for the T20 World Cup in India at the end of the year, while the Proteas regulars will also be in action.
‘We are also pleased to confirm that the Proteas will be made available for selection for their respective franchises. The addition of the Proteas will make for a high-quality contest and provide experience to the young cricketers coming through our domestic structures,’ Smith added.
An morning opening encounter between the Momentum Multiply Titans and the VKB Knights awaits on 19 February, before the Hollywoodbets Dolphins take on the Six Gun Grill Cape Cobras in the afternoon. The Imperial Lions and Warriors will begin their quest for T20 glory when they come up against each other the following morning.
Acting chief executive officer Pholetsi Moseki added: ‘Cricket South Africa is looking forward to getting the tournament under way. We have a history of producing some very exciting T20 cricket in this country and I have no doubt things will be the same this time around.
‘Even though there won’t be any fans at the stadiums, we are excited to confirm that all 17 matches will be broadcast live on SuperSport, meaning that supporters will still have the opportunity to witness world-class cricket directly from their living rooms.’
