Trevor Penney Appointed Head Coach of Paarl Royals for SA20 2025

Trevor Penney Appointed Head Coach of Paarl Royals for SA20 2025

Trevor Penney, the former head coach of the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), has been appointed as the new head coach of the Paarl Royals for the 2025 season of the South Africa T20 League (SA20). Penney replaces Shane Bond, who will now focus solely on his role as bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Penney has been a key figure in the Royals franchise since 2021, when the Royals Sports Group took over the Barbados team. Under his guidance, the Barbados Royals have emerged as a consistent contender in the CPL, reaching the final in 2022.

“I’m honored to take on the head coach role at Paarl Royals,” said Penney. “The SA20 has become a major tournament on the global cricket calendar, and I’m excited to work with such a talented squad. Being part of the Royals family with Rajasthan Royals and Barbados Royals has been a wonderful journey, and I’m looking forward to continuing that experience in Paarl.”

Penney will work alongside David Miller, who has captained the Paarl Royals in both seasons of the SA20 so far. The Royals reached the semi-finals in the inaugural season but were eliminated in the Eliminator in the second season.

“We’re delighted to have Trevor join as head coach of Paarl Royals,” said Royals’ director of cricket Kumar Sangakkara. “His track record with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and with the Barbados Royals in the CPL, where he’s helped in transforming the team into consistent contenders, shows the quality of coach he is.”

Meanwhile, Bond will focus on his role with the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the upcoming IPL auction. He will work closely with new head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour to finalize the team’s plans.

“Shane Bond, who has been fantastic with us in both the IPL and the SA20, will focus extensively on his continued role with the Rajasthan Royals and spend more time in India, overseeing the scouting and trial processes along with Rahul and Vikram,” added Sangakkara.

Dinesh Karthik to Become First Indian Player in South African T20 League

Dinesh Karthik to Become First Indian Player in South African T20 League

Dinesh Karthik, the veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batter, is poised to make history as the first Indian player to participate in the inaugural season of the South African T20 league (SA20). ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Karthik will join the Paarl Royals franchise as an overseas player when the tournament commences on January 9, 2023.

This will mark Karthik’s first competitive appearance since announcing his retirement from international cricket in June 2023, on the occasion of his 39th birthday. The former Indian star, who represented his country in 180 international matches, last played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2022. He has since been appointed as a mentor-cum-batting coach for the franchise.

Karthik is widely regarded as one of the most astute cricket analysts in the T20 format, owing to his extensive experience in the shortest format. He has featured in 401 T20 matches, including stints with six different IPL teams, most notably as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Despite his age, Karthik remains one of the fittest players in the game, having missed only two matches in 17 seasons of the IPL. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) permits only retired Indian players to participate in overseas T20 leagues.

Karthik’s signing by the Paarl Royals follows the franchise’s announcement of its retained players for the upcoming season. Captain David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, and Andile Phehlukwayo will continue with the team. The Royals reached the Qualifiers in the inaugural SA20 edition but suffered five consecutive defeats, including a nine-wicket loss to the Joburg Super Kings in the Eliminator.

Paarl Royals Retain Miller, Ngidi, Phehlukwayo for SA20 2025

Paarl Royals Retain Miller, Ngidi, Phehlukwayo for SA20 2025

Paarl Royals, one of the six franchises in the South African T20 league (SA20), have retained ten South African players for the upcoming 2025 season. Captain David Miller, fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, and all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo are among the notable names on the list.

The Royals have also retained Kwena Maphaka and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who were impressive signings in the inaugural edition of the SA20 in 2024. However, the franchise has released four players to make room for new additions: Dane Vilas, Evan Jones, Wihan Lubbe, and Ferisco Adams.

To bolster their squad, the Royals have traded seam-bowling allrounder Dayyaan Galiem from Joburg Super Kings in exchange for Tabraiz Shamsi. The final squad, including overseas signings and released players, will be confirmed after the auction.

“We are delighted to go into the upcoming auction with a very formidable core of capped and uncapped South African players,” said Kumar Sangakkara, Royals’ Director of Cricket. “After the disappointment of last season where we faltered towards the latter stages of the tournament, it was important to re-look at the squad and make certain changes.”

Meanwhile, MI Cape Town, another SA20 franchise, has retained Kagiso Rabada, Dewald Brevis, Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Delano Potgieter, Thomas Kaber, and Connor Esterhuizen. They have released Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Grant Roelofsen, and Neelan van Heerden.

The new SA20 season is set to begin on January 9, 2025.

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