Picking a combined SEC and JSK playing 11 ahead of SA20 2024 ft. Faf du Plessis & Aiden Markram

The second season of the SA20 is set to commence on Wednesday, January 10, with defending champions SunRisers Eastern Cape (SEC) facing the Joburg Super Kings (JSK) at St. George's Park in Gqeberha.

It marks an encore of last year's semifinal where the SunRisers blew the Super Kings away with the bat, thanks to a majestic century from skipper Aiden Markram.

The SA20 was a massive success in its inaugural year with big crowd turnouts headlining the competition. It has been in the news in recent times with South Africa naming a second-string squad for the test tour of New Zealand in February owing to the A-listers being asked to partake in the league instead.

The opener of SA20 2024 is set to witness superstars from South Africa and the rest of the world go up against each other as they look to pull the curtains open on what promises to be another cracking tournament.

Ahead of the first game between SEC and JSK, we pick a combined playing XI from the two teams. Bear in mind that Gerald Coetzee of the Super Kings hasn't been considered with no update yet on his fitness, with the seamer having missed the Cape Town Test against India last week.

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Openers: Faf du Plessis and Adam Rossington (wk)

JSK skipper Faf du Plessis and SEC's dashing opening batter Adam Rossington slot in at the top of this playing XI. Du Plessis carried the Super Kings' batting lineup on his shoulders in the inaugural SA20 as the team made it to the semifinals. His form in T20 cricket in 2023 was outstanding as he whipped up 1251 runs at an average of 46.33 and a strike rate marginally under 150.

English import Rossington was one of the most aggressive batters of the SA20 last year, often getting the SunRisers off to electrifying starts in the powerplay. His strike rate in their title-winning campaign was a whopping 166.21 and he will also don the wicketkeeper's gloves in this XI.

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Middle order: Moeen Ali, Aiden Markram (c), Donovan Ferreira, and Tristan Stubbs

Moeen Ali was supposed to turn up for JSK last year but wasn't able to owing to his ILT20 commitments. The veteran off-spinning all-rounder will don the yellow in SA20 2024 though and is expected to slot in at No. 3, where he will be tasked with taking down spin.

SEC skipper Aiden Markram walked away as the Player of the Tournament while leading his team to glory in 2023. The South African T20 captain will lead this playing XI as well while his incredible skill against pace and spin make him one of the top-drawer batting attractions in the competition.

Two exciting young hitters with the bat, Donovan Ferreira and Tristan Stubbs, slot in below the experience of Moeen and Markram. JSK's Ferreira lit up the inaugural season with a blistering unbeaten 82 last year but couldn't quite replicate it going forward. He remains a match-winner with an incredible range of shots around the park and has also gone on to make his debut for South Africa.

SEC broke the bank to acquire Stubbs' services at the player auction before the 2023 edition of the SA20. He played a few flashy cameos down the order and as he comes in with a burgeoning reputation and a Test cap to his name, he will seek to enjoy a breakout campaign this time around.

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Seam-bowling all-rounders: Marco Jansen and Romario Shepherd

While Moeen is the frontline spin-bowling all-rounder in this playing XI, the rest of the middle order can also chip in with useful overs of off-spin.

The lead seam-bowling all-rounders see Marco Jansen and Romario Shepherd donning the role. Jansen is one of the most exciting young talents in South Africa - a fact that he reiterated courtesy of his colossal onslaught against Rashid Khan in SA20 2023.

Jansen's height and left-arm angle give him a cutting edge with the ball and he was also the leading wicket-taker in the powerplay at the recent ODI World Cup. He will hold the aces again in that regard for SEC.

Shepherd had a decent season for JSK last year but was surprisingly released into the auction pool. He was reacquired by the franchise though and having lit up the international stage in T20Is for the West Indies, he is expected to play a huge role for the Super Kings once again.

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Bowlers: Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, and Imran Tahir

Ottniel Baartman has come ever so close to a South Africa cap, having been named in the limited-overs squads for the series against India recently. He played an instrumental role in SEC's success last year, bagging 12 wickets in seven matches at an average of 16.91, although his economy rate was on the higher side.

Nandre Burger has emerged as a bright talent for the foreseeable future in South African cricket, having made his debut across formats. Such was the strength of JSK's attack in SA20 2023 that he wasn't a regular in the starting XI. He is expected to be one of the leaders of the pack this time though with his left-arm angle and raw pace bound to prove handy.

Imran Tahir is set for his SA20 debut at the ripe age of 44, having chosen to play the ILT20 instead last year. He is a familiar face as far as the Super Kings setup is concerned and he continues to go strong with wickets aplenty owing to his crafty wrist-spin. His job will be simple - deliver wickets in the middle overs and break partnerships with his variations.

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Combined SEC and JSK playing 11 for SA20 2024: Faf du Plessis, Adam Rossington (wk), Moeen Ali, Aiden Markram (c), Donovan Ferreira, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Romario Shepherd, Ottniel Baartman, Nandre Burger, Imran Tahir.

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Which team out of SEC and JSK do you think looks stronger ahead of SA20 2024? Have your say in the comments section below!