‘You can’t run away from expectations’: Aiden Markram embraces pressure at Durban’s Super Giants

As SA20 Season 4 approaches, franchise captains and league commissioner Graeme Smith offered a glimpse into the league’s evolving ambitions, competitive standards and rising expectations during the JioStar Press Room interaction.Durban’s Super Giants captain Aiden Markram made it clear that pressure is part of the role when leading a franchise built to win.

"It's a healthy pressure that comes with winning two titles with Sunrisers Eastern Cape and now joining Durban's Super Giants, who expect success—you can't run away from it. The franchise has been to a final before, with strong coaching staff, management know-how, and good foundations already in place.

As captain, adding value to reach knockouts, a final, and lift a trophy is what you'll remember. If extra pressure arises, you own it, give it your best shot, and see where it leads at the end.

"Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Paarl Royals captain David Miller highlighted the importance of youth and energy in shaping his side this season, pointing to emerging talents as key drivers of momentum."It's exciting for us this season to have so many youngsters like Lhuan-dre Pretorius, JJ Basson, and Vishen Halambage—they bring tremendous energy that we all feed off, both on and off the field.

With a few experienced players mixed in, their eagerness to succeed in their countries and here in South Africa will drive our team forward as a great stepping stone in their careers. Lhuan-dre has performed brilliantly over the last 12-18 months, topping run charts last year; his simple thinking and explosive batting make him an exciting talent, and we hope he goes back-to-back while we build on his performances.

"Joburg Super Kings skipper Faf du Plessis underlined SA20’s growing competitiveness, while acknowledging the IPL as the global benchmark."The key to any league's high standard is featuring all national players, which SA20 does with South Africa's internationals—unlike many global competitions. While IPL sets the benchmark as the world's premier T20 league with a dedicated window ensuring full international availability, SA20 learns from their years of excellence in management, production, and world-class setup. The first SA20 season captured that IPL feel; it's certainly at a comparable level, though IPL remains the biggest, and everyone aims to match it.

"League commissioner Graeme Smith spoke about the league’s rapid growth, fan resurgence and global footprint."We've worked hard to dominate the December-January-February window and own it completely, building to our current levels successfully. Seeing fans return to South African cricket with big crowds is a major highlight for us. The main focus remains providing players and teams the best platform to perform well and strengthen South African cricket into the future.

In metrics like viewership and global reach, we've hit incredible numbers, established as the biggest league outside India.

Commercially, we've grown from strength to strength, attracting strong partners for years ahead. When traveling globally, people in cricket rave about seeing South Africa's vibrancy, competitive matches, and summer fun on TV—those elements must shine through again as we grow year on year."

Meanwhile, Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Tristan Stubbs addressed the challenge of sustaining success after the departure of Markram."We've lost Aiden Markram but stuck with the same winning mantra. We've got many local Port Elizabeth boys in the squad who truly understand playing at St. George's Park—that passion can't be explained to outsiders. It will hopefully inspire the entire team to match the intensity we've shown in the first three years and keep delivering success."Catch all the action from SA20 Season 4, December 26 2025 - January 25 2026, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network