CSA T20 Challenge 2026 Schedule, Teams, Squads, Dates, Venues and Complete Guide
The CSA T20 Challenge 2026 has undergone an important change ahead of the new South African domestic season. Cricket South Africa has combined the former T20 Challenge and T20 Knockout competitions into a single 16-team T20 competition, now officially branded the Pro20 Cup 2026/27. The new competition brings Division 1 teams, Division 2 teams and the South Africa Emerging side into one tournament.
The competition was originally scheduled to begin on September 22, 2026, with Northern Cape facing Limpopo at Diamond Oval in Kimberley. That opening fixture was abandoned due to rain without a toss and has been rescheduled for September 25. As a result, the current fixture listings show the competition beginning on September 25.
The latest official Cricket South Africa fixture listing uses the Pro20 Cup 2026/27 name and has matches beginning on September 25, with the final scheduled for November 14.
CSA T20 Challenge 2026 Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | CSA T20 Challenge 2026 |
| New competition branding | Pro20 Cup 2026/27 |
| Edition | 2026/27 |
| Format | T20 |
| Host Country | South Africa |
| Organizing Body | Cricket South Africa |
| Number of Teams | 16 |
| Number of Matches | 71 |
| Current Start Date | September 25, 2026 |
| Final | November 14, 2026 |
| Competition Structure | Pool stage, Super Eights, semi-finals and final |
| Pools | Pool A and Pool B |
Participating Teams
The expanded 16-team competition brings together teams from South Africa’s Division 1 and Division 2 domestic structures, along with the CSA Emerging side.
Pool A
- Warriors
- North West Dragons
- Northern Cape
- Border
- Dolphins
- Lions
- Limpopo
- South Western Districts
Pool B
- Titans
- Western Province
- Mpumalanga Rhinos
- Knights
- South Africa Emerging
- KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers
- Boland
- Eastern Storm
CSA T20 Challenge 2026 Complete Schedule
The current revised schedule lists the competition from September 25 to November 14. The pool stage runs through October 25, followed by the Super Eights, semi-finals and final.
Pool Stage Schedule
| Match | Date | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 25 | Warriors vs North West Dragons | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 2 | Sep 25 | Titans vs Western Province | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 3 | Sep 26 | Northern Cape vs Border | Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 4 | Sep 27 | Dolphins vs Lions | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 5 | Sep 27 | Mpumalanga Rhinos vs Titans | Uplands College, White River |
| 6 | Sep 27 | Western Province vs Knights | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 7 | Sep 28 | Border vs North West Dragons | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 8 | Sep 29 | South Africa Emerging vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers | LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria |
| 9 | Sep 29 | Warriors vs Limpopo | St George’s Park, Gqeberha |
| 10 | Sep 29 | Boland vs Knights | Boland Park, Paarl |
| 11 | Sep 30 | Eastern Storm vs Mpumalanga Rhinos | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
| 12 | Sep 30 | Dolphins vs Northern Cape | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 13 | Oct 1 | South Western Districts vs Border | Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn |
| 14 | Oct 2 | Mpumalanga Rhinos vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers | Uplands College, White River |
| 15 | Oct 2 | Knights vs Titans | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
| 16 | Oct 2 | Lions vs North West Dragons | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 17 | Oct 4 | Limpopo vs Dolphins | Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane |
| 18 | Oct 4 | KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers vs Boland | City Oval, Pietermaritzburg |
| 19 | Oct 4 | Warriors vs Lions | St George’s Park, Gqeberha |
| 20 | Oct 4 | Western Province vs South Africa Emerging | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 21 | Oct 5 | Limpopo vs South Western Districts | Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane |
| 22 | Oct 6 | Western Province vs Eastern Storm | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 23 | Oct 7 | South Western Districts vs Lions | Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn |
| 24 | Oct 7 | Knights vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
| 25 | Oct 7 | Titans vs South Africa Emerging | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 26 | Oct 8 | Boland vs Eastern Storm | Boland Park, Paarl |
| 27 | Oct 8 | Warriors vs Northern Cape | St George’s Park, Gqeberha |
| 28 | Oct 9 | Border vs Dolphins | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 29 | Oct 10 | Mpumalanga Rhinos vs Western Province | Uplands College, White River |
| 30 | Oct 10 | North West Dragons vs South Western Districts | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom |
| 31 | Oct 11 | Titans vs Eastern Storm | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 32 | Oct 11 | South Africa Emerging vs Boland | LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria |
| 33 | Oct 13 | KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers vs Titans | City Oval, Pietermaritzburg |
| 34 | Oct 13 | Northern Cape vs Limpopo | Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 35 | Oct 13 | Lions vs Border | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 36 | Oct 13 | North West Dragons vs Dolphins | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom |
| 37 | Oct 14 | Knights vs Eastern Storm | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
| 38 | Oct 14 | Western Province vs Boland | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 39 | Oct 16 | South Western Districts vs Warriors | Recreation Ground, Oudtshoorn |
| 40 | Oct 16 | Limpopo vs Border | Polokwane Cricket Club, Polokwane |
| 41 | Oct 17 | Boland vs Mpumalanga Rhinos | Boland Park, Paarl |
| 42 | Oct 18 | Lions vs Northern Cape | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 43 | Oct 18 | South Africa Emerging vs Knights | LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria |
| 44 | Oct 20 | Dolphins vs Warriors | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 45 | Oct 21 | Northern Cape vs South Western Districts | Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 46 | Oct 21 | North West Dragons vs Limpopo | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom |
| 47 | Oct 22 | Mpumalanga Rhinos vs South Africa Emerging | Uplands College, White River |
| 48 | Oct 22 | Eastern Storm vs KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
| 49 | Oct 23 | Dolphins vs South Western Districts | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 50 | Oct 24 | Lions vs Limpopo | The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 51 | Oct 24 | Border vs Warriors | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 52 | Oct 24 | Knights vs Mpumalanga Rhinos | Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein |
| 53 | Oct 25 | Eastern Storm vs South Africa Emerging | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
| 54 | Oct 25 | KwaZulu-Natal Inland Tuskers vs Western Province | City Oval, Pietermaritzburg |
| 55 | Oct 25 | North West Dragons vs Northern Cape | Senwes Park, Potchefstroom |
| 56 | Oct 25 | Boland vs Titans | Boland Park, Paarl |
Super Eights
| Stage | Date | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Eight | Oct 26 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Oct 27 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Oct 28 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Oct 29 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Oct 30 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Oct 31 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 1 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 2 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 3 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 3 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 5 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Super Eight | Nov 6 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
Semi-Finals and Final
The final stage is scheduled for November 13 and 14.
| Match | Date | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Semi-Final | Nov 13 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| 2nd Semi-Final | Nov 13 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
| Final | Nov 14 | TBC vs TBC | TBC |
Cricbuzz currently lists both semi-finals on November 13, followed by the final on November 14.
Venues
| Venue | City |
|---|---|
| SuperSport Park | Centurion |
| Diamond Oval | Kimberley |
| Kingsmead | Durban |
| Newlands | Cape Town |
| Uplands College | White River |
| Buffalo Park | East London |
| LC de Villiers Oval | Pretoria |
| St George’s Park | Gqeberha |
| Boland Park | Paarl |
| Willowmoore Park | Benoni |
| Recreation Ground | Oudtshoorn |
| Mangaung Oval | Bloemfontein |
| The Wanderers Stadium | Johannesburg |
| Polokwane Cricket Club | Polokwane |
| City Oval | Pietermaritzburg |
| Senwes Park | Potchefstroom |
Team Squads
The full CSA T20 Challenge 2026 squads have not yet been officially confirmed.
Tournament Format
The 2026/27 competition represents a major restructuring of South African domestic T20 cricket.
The new Pro20 Cup combines the previous T20 Challenge and T20 Knockout competitions and features 16 teams. The teams are split into two pools of eight. Each team plays the other seven teams in its pool once during the pool stage.
The top four teams from each pool then advance to the Super Eights.
The Super Eights bring together the eight qualifiers, with teams facing opposition from the other pool. The top four teams from the Super Eights progress to the semi-finals.
The semi-finals are scheduled for November 13, followed by the final on November 14.
Previous Edition
The 2026/27 Pro20 Cup is a new combined competition, so there is no previous Pro20 Cup champion.
The competition has been created by combining the previous T20 Challenge and T20 Knockout competitions. Cricket South Africa’s current-season information notes that the Warriors won the previous Division 1 T20 Challenge after beating Boland in a Super Over, while the Knights won the Division 2 competition.
Therefore, the Warriors should not technically be described as the defending Pro20 Cup champions because the Pro20 Cup is being introduced for the 2026/27 season.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Revised tournament start | September 25, 2026 |
| Pool stage | September 25 – October 25 |
| Super Eights | October 26 – November 6 |
| Semi-finals | November 13 |
| Final | November 14 |
| Tournament end | November 14 |
What to Expect
The 2026/27 season introduces one of the biggest changes to South African domestic T20 cricket in recent years. Sixteen teams will compete in a single expanded competition, including established Division 1 sides, Division 2 teams and CSA Emerging.
The pool stage will determine the eight teams progressing to the Super Eights. From there, the competition moves towards the semi-finals and the inaugural Pro20 Cup final.
The expanded structure also takes domestic T20 cricket to grounds across all nine South African provinces, according to CSA’s announcement. The competition is designed to provide additional opportunities for players across the domestic system.
