CSA T20 Challenge Predictions

The CSA T20 Challenge is set to return after a one-year hiatus having last being held in November-December 2017. This will be the sixteenth edition of the tournament and it is scheduled to be played between 5th April and 5th May, 2019. The league stage will see the six participating teams face each other in a double round-robin format for a total of 30 T20 matches. The top four teams on the points table will advance to the semi-finals. The tournament will kick off with defending champions Titans taking on the Warriors at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Read on for team previews, betting odds, betting tips and predictions for CSA T20 Challenge 2019...

CSA T20 Challenge 2019 Team Previews

Warriors Team Preview

The Warriors have won the tournament once - in the 2010 season when they thrashed Highveld Lions by 82 runs in the final at Port Elizabeth. They also had a successful season in 2016 when they made their third appearance in the finals of the tournament. Last year, the Warriors finished fourth on the points table with four wins and five defeats from ten matches. They won their last three league-stage encounters but were outplayed by the Titans in the semi-final.

Warriors Squad 2019

JJ Smuts, Andrew Birch, Gihahn Cloete, Ayabulela Gqamane, Yaseen Vallie, Clyde Fortuin, Colin Ackermann, Basheeru-Deen Walters, Lesiba Ngoepe, Edward Michael Moore, Christiaan Jonker, Sisanda Magala, Lutho Sipamla, Matthew Breetzke, Sithembile Langa, Sinethemba Qeshile 

Highveld Lions Team Preview

Highveld Lions are champions of the 2007 and 2013 seasons and they are also two-time runners up having reached the finals in 2010 and 2012. They were pretty consistent in 2016 where they managed to make it to the playoffs quite comfortably. However, they had a disappointing tournament last time as they failed to reach the semi-finals after finishing fifth in the league standings with just two wins. The Lions were very unfortunate in the previous season as four of their matches got washed out due to rain.

Highveld Lions Squad 2019

Craig Alexander, Aaron Phangiso, Temba Bavuma, Mangaliso Mosehle, Dwaine Pretorius, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Yaseen Valli, Malusi Siboto, Dominic Hendricks, Omphile Ramela, Bjorn Fortuin, Nicky van den Bergh, Wiaan Mulder, Kagiso Rapulana, Wihan Lubbe, Migael Pretorius, Ryan Rickelton

Multiply Titans Team Preview

The Titans are the most successful team of the CSA T20 Challenge having lifted the trophy six times. They beat the Dolphins in last year's final to become the first team in the history of the tournament to claim a hat-trick of title wins. They were absolutely brilliant in the previous three editions, finishing at the top of the points table each time. The defending champions finished runners-up in the 2013 season where they lost to Highveld Lions in the final at Johannesburg.

Multiply Titans Squad 2019

Heino Kuhn, Henry Davids, Dean Elgar, Jonathan Vandiar, Farhaan Behardien, Andrea Agathangelou, Theunis de Bruyn, Corbin Bosch, Aiden Markram, Shaun von Berg, Tabraiz Shamsi, Junior Dala, Tshepo Moreki, Grant Thomson, Eldred Hawken, Tony de Zorzi, Wandile Makwetu, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Shimane Alfred Mothoa 

VKB Knights Team Preview

The Knights won the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2004 and then a couple of years later in 2006 when they competed as Diamond Eagles. They came runners-up in 2009 and 2014, suffering defeats at the hands of Cape Cobras in the final on both occasions. The Knights have finished at the bottom of the league standings in the previous two seasons. They managed to win just two games last year and will be desperate to turn things around this time.

VKB Knights Squad 2019

Ryan McLaren, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Corne Dry, Eddie Leie, Rudi Second, Petrus van Biljon, Grant Mokoena, Zakhele Qwabe, Keegan Petersen, Tshepo Ntuli , Luthando Mnyanda, Mbulelo Budaza, Patrick Kruger, Andries Gous, Ottniel Baartman, Raynard van Tonder

Hollywoodbets Dolphins Team Preview

The Dolphins have won the tournament only once and have come runners-up on three occasions. Their maiden title win came in the 2014 season when they edged out Cape Cobras in a closely-fought final at the Newlands in Cape Town. In the previous edition, the Dolphins finished second in the league standings despite five of their matches being washed out. They suffered a heavy defeat against the Titans in the final to finish runners-up twice in the last three seasons.

Hollywoodbets Dolphins Squad 2019

Morne van Wyk, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Robbie Frylinck, Calvin Savage , Prenelan Subrayen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Cody Chetty, Mthokozisi Shezi, Khaya Zondo, Sibonelo Makhanya, Sarel Erwee, Senuran Muthusamy, Lwandiswa Zuma, Okuhle Cele, Eathan Bosch, Smangaliso Nhlebela, Kerwin Mungroo

Cape Cobras Team Preview

Cape Cobras have been one of the more consistent teams in South Africa's domestic twenty20 tournaments with three title wins. They lifted the trophy for the first time in 2009 when they beat the Knights in the final at home. They emerged victorious again a couple of seasons later in 2011, securing another home final win this time against the Warriors. After a rather disappointing 2016 season, the Cobras bounced back last year to qualify for the semi-finals with five wins from ten league-stage encounters. Unfortunately, their semi-final clash with the Dolphins got abandoned due to rain and that resulted in their elimination as they had finished one place behind the Dolphins on the points table.

Cape Cobras Squad 2019

Lizaad Williams , Dane Piedt, Dayyaan Galiem, Jason Smith, Dane Paterson, Aviwe Mgijima, George Linde, Ferisco Adams, Simon Khomari, Zubayr Hamza, Kyle Verreynne, Tladi Bokako, Pieter Malan, Janneman Malan, Mthiwekhaya Nabe, David Bedingham

Our Prediction: Who Will Win CSA T20 Challenge 2019?

The Knights have finished cellar dwellers in the previous two seasons and we don't have high expectations from them this time either. The Lions too failed to impress last time and they are unlikely to make it to the top four this year as well. This means that there is a good chance that the semi-finalists from last time could once again progress through to the knockouts. The Dolphins have shown a lot of improvement in the T20 format over the past few years while the Cobras and Warriors are always going to be strong contenders for the title. The Titans, however, seem to be in a different league altogether having won the tournament three times in a row now. They are expected to retain a large portion of their squad from the previous season and that should make them hot favorites yet again. The Warriors and Cobras are going to be the biggest threat for the Titans, but we are backing the six-time champions to have another successful season and bring home another silverware.

Final Verdict: Back the Titans to win the CSA T20 Challenge 2019.