SA20 League has firmly established its hierarchy, and at the top sits an orange dynasty. On January 25, 2026 at the prestigious Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town, Sunrisers Eastern Cape registered his name in the record book by defeating pretoria capitals In a high stakes final. With this win, Sunrisers won a historic third consecutive SA20 title, proving their potential as the most dominant franchise in South African T20 history.
That night was defined by tactical brilliance, a resilient middle-order recovery and a post-match moment that has since gone viral. As soon as he hit the winning run, the cameras immediately turned towards the Sunrisers owner Kavya MaranWhose unbridled joy perfectly reflected the magnitude of the achievement.
Kavya Maran emotionally hugs captain Tristan Stubbs in joyous celebration
Immediately after the winning boundary, the celebrations moved from the pitch to the dugout. In a heart-touching scene, which quickly started trending across sports platforms, Sunrisers owner Kavya was seen running onto the field to congratulate her team. The highlight of the celebration was the joyous embrace between Maran and Captain Tristan Stubbs.
Stubbs, who led the team with great composure throughout the tournament, was embraced in celebration by Maran, whose passion for the ‘Orange Army’ is well documented. For fans, the gesture symbolizes a blend of deep-rooted bonds within the franchise, corporate support and genuine sportsmanship. The video of the embrace has become the defining image of the 2026 season, showing a leader and an owner enjoying the glory of a ‘three-peat’ that many thought was impossible in such a competitive league.
Here is the video:
Sunrisers Eastern Cape boss Kavya Maran relives every moment of her team’s journey to third place #BetwaySA20 title 😊#PCVSEC #Welcome to Incredible pic.twitter.com/53nyeNyuwk
– Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) 26 January 2026
Sunrisers Eastern Cape win historic third SA20 title
The final was a tactical rollercoaster. Opting to bat first, the Capitals found themselves in immediate trouble. marco janson Living up to his big-match reputation, he dismissed Connor Esterhuizen for a duck in the first over. Whereas dewald brevis Played a brilliant, lone-warrior innings, scoring 101 runs in 55 balls, as the rest of the Capitals’ lineup struggled against the disciplined attack of the Sunrisers. Clinical figures of 3/10 from Jensen and crucial breakthroughs from Sipamla restricted the Capitals to a total of 158/7.
Sunrisers had a weak start to chase the target. The Newlands surface provided a lot of support to the bowlers and provided early strikes. lungi ngidi And lizad williams By the ninth over, the defending champions’ score was 48/4. With the pressure of the final rising, Sunrisers needed a miracle.
enter Matthew Britzke And Captain Stubbs. The pair displayed incredible temperament and refused to bow to the rising required rate. Britzke played the anchor role brilliantly and scored an unbeaten 68 off 49 balls, while Stubbs stepped up to score runs at the right time. 63 runs from 41*. Their unbeaten 114-run partnership for the fifth wicket ruined the Capitals’ bowling plans.
Eastern Cape achieved the target of 159 runs with four balls remaining and the score ended at 162/4. This victory not only secured the trophy, but cemented Stubbs’ legacy as a championship-winning captain, backed by an owner whose heart beat for every run his team scored.
Also read: ‘Creating Tremors’: Ravichandran Ashwin lauds Sourav Ganguly’s coaching masterclass at SA20 2026
