CSA T20 League: Sunrisers Eastern Cape Signs Aiden Markram, Ottneil Baartman For Inaugural Season

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s sister franchise Sunrisers Eastern Cape have announced their initial signings of South Africa’s duo of Aiden Markram and Ottneil Baartman for the inaugural season of Cricket South Africa T20 league.

The newfound team, owned by SUN Group, will represent Port Elizabeth, a city on Algoa Bay in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province.

Aiden Markram, Ottniel Baartman signed by Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Markram, a middle-order specialist in the T20 format for the Proteas, played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022 and 381 runs in 12 innings at an average of 47.63 and a strike rate of 139.05 with 68 not out against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was his best individual score in the tournament. Markram has also developed the reputation of chipping in with wickets at crucial junctures with his handy off-spin.

In January 2021, South Western Districts’ pace bowler Baartman was named in South Africa’s Test squad for the Pakistan tour, however, he was ruled out of the tour on grounds of medical reasons. Baartman has played 35 T20 matches and picked 41 wickets at an economy of 6.21.

Markram’s signing with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape highlighted the trend of IPL franchises roping in the services of players from the same group in UAE and South Africa’s T20 leagues.

“Announcing our first two #Risers South Africa’s T20I player of the year Aiden Markram & death-bowling specialist Ottneil Baartman join #SunRisersEasternCape #OrangeArmy #SEC,” the official handle of Sunrisers Eastern Cape tweeted.

Announcing our first two #Risers ?

South Africa's T20I player of the year Aiden Markram & death-bowling specialist Ottneil Baartman join #SunRisersEasternCape ?#OrangeArmy #SEC pic.twitter.com/kCCLJiJvha

— Sunrisers Eastern Cape (@SunrisersEC) August 17, 2022

CSA T20 League signings so far

According to the CSA guidelines, each franchise can sign up to five players ahead of the inaugural auction. The criteria for selecting the five players should include at least one South African international and one uncapped player from the country.

Here’s a brief list of players signed by six teams in the CSA T20 League so far:

MI Cape Town – Kagiso Rabada, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis

Paarl Royals – Jos Buttler, David Miller, Obed McCoy, Corbin Bosch

RPSG Durban franchise – Jason Holder, Quinton de Kock, Reece Topley, Kyle Mayers, Prenelan Subrayan

Pretoria Capitals – Anrich Nortje, Migael Pretorius

Johannesburg Super Kings – Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Maheesh Theekshana, Gerald Coetzee, Romario Shepherd* (report)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape – Aiden Markram, Ottneil Baartman