View source for Sunrisers Eastern Cape

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'''The Sunrisers Eastern Cape''' are a South African professional Twenty20 franchise cricket team that competes in the SA20 tournament. The team is based in Gqeberha, and was formed in 2022. The team's home-ground is St George's Park Cricket Ground. The team is coached by Adrian Birrell. The franchise is owned by the Indian SUN Group.

== History ==
In August 2022, Cricket South Africa announced the establishment of the SA20, a Twenty20 Cricket competition to be started in 2023. The teams for the competition, representing six cities, including the Eastern Cape, were put up on auction in September 2022. The franchise is owned by Kalanithi Maran of the Sun Group.

=== 2023 season ===
They were the champions of the first season of the tournament after they beat Pretoria Capitals by four wickets in the final at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. Having successfully lead the team to their inaugural SA20 title, Markram was later appointed as the captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2023 season of the IPL.

=== 2024 season ===
The Sunrisers defended their title to become champions for a second time. They beat Durban's Super Giants by 89 runs in the final at Cape Town.

=== 2025 season ===
The season started poorly, with the Sunrisers losing their first three games, and after four games they were bottom of the log. However, they finished strongly, ending in third place and qualifying for the Eliminator.

In the knockout rounds, they defeated Joburg Super Kings in the Eliminator and then Paarl Royals in the 2nd Qualifier. However, they were comprehensively defeated by MI Cape Town in the final.

=== 2026 season ===

== Current squad ==
The squad of the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for the 2026 SA20 season as of 10 September 2025.

* Players with international caps are listed in '''bold'''.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Sunrisers Eastern Cape squad
!No.
!Name
!Nationality
!Birth date
!Batting style
!Bowling style
!Year signed
!Salary
!Notes
|-
! colspan="9" |Batters
|-
|
|-
! colspan="9" |Wicket-keepers
|-
|
|-
! colspan="9" |All-rounders
|-
|
|-
! colspan="9" |Bowlers
|-
|
|}

== Administration and support staff ==
{| class="wikitable"
!Position
!Name
|-
|Head coach
|Adrian Birrell
|-
|Assistant coach
|Baakier Abrahams
|-
|Batting coach
|Russell Domingo
|-
|Bowling coach
|Dale Steyn
|-
|Fielding coach
|Ryan Cook
|}

* Source : SA20.co.za

== Seasons ==

=== Seasons ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!League standing
!Final standing
|-
!2023
|3rd out of 6
|'''Champions'''
|-
!2024
|1st out of 6
|'''Champions'''
|-
!2025
|3rd out of 6
|'''Runners up'''
|}

*  '''C''': champions
*  RU: runner-up
*  SF team qualified for the semi-final stage of the competition

=== Season summary ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Played
!Wins
!Losses
!Tied/NR
|-
!2023
|12
|6
|5
|1
|-
!2024
|12
|9
|2
|1
|-
!2025
|13
|7
|6
|0
|-
| colspan="5" |Source: ESPNCricinfo
|}
'''Note:'''

* NR indicates No result.
* Abandoned matches are indicated as no result.

== Statistics ==

=== Most runs ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Player
!Match
!Runs
!Batting average
!High score
!100s
!50s
|-
|Aiden Markram
|36
|967
|34.53
|100
|1
|5
|-
|Tristan Stubbs
|36
|723
|32.86
|66*
|0
|3
|-
|Jordan Hermann
|30
|666
|25.61
|106*
|1
|3
|-
|Tom Abell
|23
|502
|27.88
|65
|0
|4
|-
|Marco Jansen
|35
|486
|28.58
|71*
|0
|3
|}

* Source : as of 9 Feb 2025

=== Most wickets ===
{| class="wikitable"
!Player
!Wickets
!Bowling average
!Best bowling
|-
|Marco Jansen
|47
|19.38
|5/30
|-
|Ottniel Baartman
|41
|15.92
|4/10
|-
|Liam Dawson
|22
|22.54
|3/17
|-
|Roelof van der Merwe
|20
|9.55
|6/20
|-
|Daniel Worrall
|17
|17.88
|3/20
|-
|Aiden Markram
|17
|21.82
|2/7
|}

* Source : as of 9 Feb 2025

== References ==

# "Cricket South Africa announces new six-team franchise-based T20 competition". ESPNcricinfo.
# "Cricket South Africa | T20 Comes Home as Csa and Supersport Announce Grand New Event".
# "Inaugural SA20 league to begin on January 10". ESPNcricinfo.
# "IPL franchise owners buy all six teams in South Africa's new T20 league". ESPNcricinfo.
# "SA20 2024: Sunrisers Eastern Cape complete players list ft. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma". ESPNcricinfo.
# "DEFENDING CHAMPIONS' NEWBIES EAGER TO THRILL ORANGE ARMY". sa20.co.za.
# "Sunrisers Hyderabad appoint Aiden Markram as captain ahead of IPL 2023". Hindustan Times. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
# "SA20 booming as Sunrisers do the business again", ESPNcricinfo
# "'Baby AB' Drewald Brevis takes MI Cape Town to first-ever SA20 title, one six at a time". The Times of India. 9 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
# Sagar Singh (@thesagar75).# "How the SA20 squads stack up after the auction". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
# "Know Your Team: Sunrisers Eastern Cape - Coaching Staff". sa20.co.za. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
# "SA20 Records - Sunrisers Eastern Cape". ESPNCricinfo.
# "Sunrisers Eastern Cape SA20 Records". ESPNcricinfo.
# "Sunrisers Eastern Cape Most Wicket". ESPNcricinfo.

== External links ==

* [https://www.sa20.co.za/team/sunrisers-eastern-cape/ Sunrisers section at the SA20 website].