FROM BETWAY SA20 TO PROTEAS T20I DEBUT - TONY DE ZORZI JOINS THE LIST

Durban’s Super Giants returnee Tony de Zorzi has joined the growing list of Betway SA20 stars to earn a maiden Proteas T20I cap.

De Zorzi was a late addition to the Proteas T20I squad for the on-going Pakistan series after Paarl Royals captain David Miller was ruled out through injury and was immediately drafted into the starting XI for the first match of the series in Rawalpindi on Tuesday evening.

Fresh off a successful Test series where De Zorzi was the Proteas’ leading run-scorer across the two matches with 175 runs at an average of 58.33, including a second Test century in Lahore, the dreadlocked left-hander was quickly into his rhythm. 

He once again showed his quality against spin, going down on bended knee to send his fourth ball in T20Is to the square-leg boundary for four, before carving the next delivery over cover for successive boundaries. 

De Zorzi repeated the dosage in the next over, but this time it was against the pace of Naseem Shah, helping himself to another couple of boundaries down the leg side. 

However, the best was yet to come with De Zorzi showing off his fleet-footedness by dancing down the track to lift off-spinner Saim Ayub high into the Rawalpindi night sky for a 90m straight six down the ground. 

Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end - albeit prematurely - when De Zorzi was stumped off Mohammad Nawaz for a sparkling 33 (16b 5x4 1x6 17m) at a strike-rate of 206.25.

De Zorzi is certainly on an upward curve in the shortest format after averaging 25.60 at a strike-rate of 131.95 for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in last season’s Betway SA20 competition.

It included a match-winning 78 off just 49 balls (11x4, 2x6) in Qualifier 2 at Centurion which secured the Sunrisers their third consecutive Betway SA20 Final appearance.

The talented top-order batter will, however, return to Kingsmead for Season 4 after being picked up by his former team at this year’s auction. De Zorzi played six matches for the Super Giants in Season 2.

FULL LIST OF BETWAY STARS WHO'VE GONE ON TO MAKE T20I DEBUT

SENURAN MUTHUSAMY

Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Pretoria Capitals - 12 January 2023 

New Zealand vs South Africa - 16 July 2025         

LHUAN-DRE PRETORIUS 

Paarl Royals Vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 11 January 2025 

Zimbabwe Vs South Africa - 14 July 2025 

RUBIN HERMANN

Pretoria Capitals vs Paarl Royals - 18 January 2025 

Zimbabwe vs South Africa - 14 July 2025       

CORBIN BOSCH

Paarl Royals vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 19 January 2023 

Zimbabwe vs South Africa - 14 July 2025 

DAYYAAN GALIEM

Joburg Super Kings vs Durban’s Super Giants - 3 February 2024 

South Africa vs Pakistan - 13 December 2024  

ANDILE SIMELANE

Mi Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 29 January 2025 

South Africa vs India - 8 November 2024 

 *T20I debut before playing a Betway SA20 Match      

JASON SMITH

Pretoria Capitals vs Durban’s Super Giants - 12 January 2025 

West Indies vs South Africa - 27 August 2024 

 *T20I debut before playing a Betway SA20 Match      

KWENA MAPHAKA

Paarl Royals vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 11 January 2025 

West Indies vs South Africa - 23 August 2024 

 *T20I debut before playing a Betway SA20 Match      

PATRICK KRUGER

MI Cape Town vs Sunrisers Eastern Cape - 16 January 2024 

West Indies vs South Africa - 25 May 2024     

NQABA PETER 

Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Paarl Royals - 4 February 2024

West Indies vs South Africa - 25 May 2024           

RYAN RICKELTON 

MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals - 10 January 2023 

West Indies vs South Africa - 23 May 2024          

OTTNEIL BAARTMAN

Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Pretoria Capitals - 12 January 2023 

West Indies vs South Africa - 23 May 2024 

NANDRE BURGER

Joburg Super Kings vs Pretoria Capitals - 18 January 2023 

South Africa vs India - 14 December 2023 

DONOVAN FERREIRA

Durban’s Super Giants vs Joburg Super Kings - 11 January 2023 

South Africa vs Australia - 3 September 2023 

MATTHEW BREETZKE

Durban’s Super Giants vs Joburg Super Kings - 11 January 2023 

South Africa vs Australia - 3 September 2023 

GERALD COETZEE

MI Cape Town vs Joburg Super Kings - 14 January 2023 

South Africa vs Australia - 30 August 2023      

DEWALD BREVIS

MI Cape Town vs Paarl Royals - 10 January 2023

South Africa vs Australia - 30 August 2023