MSL T20: Cricket South Africa announces the prize money for the inaugural edition

The inaugural edition of the Mzansi Super League (MSL), South Africa’s newest T20 league, will offer R10 million in prize money for the top two teams. On Tuesday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced that the champions will earn R7 million, while the runners-up will go home with R2.5 million. The franchise-based tournament gets underway on November 16 with a final scheduled for December 16.

Only the two teams who qualify for the all-important final will share out the prize money, while the remaining R500 000 will be awarded to the Player of the Series, who will receive R100 000. R15 000 will be handed to the Man of the Match in every game. The league will see six teams take each other on in what is likely to be an action-packed event, bringing the best of South African cricket on a single platform. Moreover, international heavyweights such as Chris Gayle, Rashid Khan and Dwayne Bravo will also dazzle in the MSL this year.

No title sponsor for MSL yet

However, CSA still appears to be in trouble as far as the commercial side of the tournament is concerned as the MSL is without a tournament sponsor with less than three weeks to go before the first ball is bowled according to Independent Online. None of the tournament’s six competing franchises have sponsors either.

Additionally, there are several other properties within CSA’s portfolio that are also currently sponsor-less. But the month-long tournament is scheduled to get underway in Newlands on Friday, November 16, when the Cape Town Blitz take on the Tshwane Spartans.

Speaking at an event ahead of the tournament, Cricket South Africa chief executive Thabang Moroe said, “This is a perfect incentive for the teams and the players ahead of the first MSL T20 edition and we are all looking forward to the first ball being bowled in 17 days’ time. We will also reveal different venue activations closer to the tournament, where we also want to make the MSL T20 experience even more epic for the spectators coming through to see some of the world leading stars like AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Kagiso Rabada in action.”

Nevertheless, those on national duty for the Proteas won’t be available for the first few matches as South Africa will be taking on Australia in a limited-overs series. Meanwhile, some others will be occupied in the second edition of the T10 League taking place in the UAE.

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