New Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Tristan Stubbs says he was told during the SA20 player auction that he could get the job.
The 25-year-old Proteas batsman takes over the role from Aiden Markram, who led the Sunrisers to back-to-back SA20 titles in 2023 and 2024 but was not retained by the Port Eizabeth-based franchise before the auction.
While the Sunrisers had hoped to buy him again at the auction, they were outbid by Durban’s Super Giants, who paid R14-million for the Proteas T20I skipper.
Speaking at the captains’ press conference in Cape Town on Tuesday, Stubbs revealed that coach Adrian Birrell had already prepared him for the possibility of stepping into the role.
“His plan was to get Aiden [at the auction], but he just quietly mentioned to me that if we don’t get Aiden, I might have to do the job,” said Stubbs.
“I’m just keen to get going. So far, I’ve really enjoyed it. I told these guys earlier that we had a meeting, and I’ve honestly just thought about playing cricket and batting.
“But [on Monday], coach was talking to me about the other teams, and I was like, ‘This is quite cool’. I’m really excited for it and it’s going to be really cool.”
ALSO: Durban move excites Markram
Stubbs was the most expensive player at the inaugural SA20 auction, bought by the Sunrisers for R9.2-million – a record since broken by Markram and Dewald Brevis (R16.5-million to the Pretoria Capitals).
After falling short of a historic three-peat last season with a semi-final defeat to MI Cape Town, Stubbs believes the squad is well equipped to challenge again.
The Sunrisers retained five players, including Stubbs, Jonny Bairstow and Marco Jansen, and added significant firepower at the auction with the signings of Jos Buttler, Quinton de Kock and Matthew Breetzke, alongside bowlers Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Chris Wood and Senuran Muthusamy.
“We sort of had a similar blueprint to the first year. A lot of the team is based around local boys who know PE, live in and around PE,” Stubbs said.
“Just being a PE boy and knowing that it brings that culture and that extra fight to play for the team in front of a home crowd.”
Photo: Shaun Roy/Sportzpics
