King Brothers – Kings of the Cricket Field

Shanell Binedell
@shanell_lalal

 

J.P. King and C.J. King, two brothers who were formerly part of Caput Men’s Residence, have both been selected for South Africa’s premier T20 cricket league, SA20. The season will start on January 9 2025, and the six franchises have finalized their players. Each franchise is required to fill their teams with 19 players and select a rookie player in the rookie draft. A rookie is defined as a South African player aged 22 or under on the day of the auction who has not previously been contracted to SA20. There is only one rookie pick per team, making a total of six overall.

 

According to News Bytes, the auction was held in Cape Town and attracted over 580 applications. Reeza Harris, a South African player, secured the highest-paying position and was bought by MI Cape Town for R4.3 million after a bidding war with Pretoria Capitals. “In South Africa, the league was the most-watched sporting event on average on SuperSport Premium during the period, with a cumulative viewership of 8.96 million. The biggest positive was the 46% female viewers who made up the unique audience and affirmed the strategic goal of being a league for everyone,” stated Cricket South Africa.

 

J.P. King, 21 years old, was chosen as the rookie draft pick for the Joburg Super Kings. King started playing cricket at the early age of four and says it has always been his favorite sport. He began his career with the Northwest Dragons in his first year and received a contract with The Warriors (Port Elizabeth) in August 2023. King is now starting his second season with the Warriors and is very excited to remain part of the team. He acknowledges that the Warriors had a major influence on his selection as the rookie player for the Joburg Super Kings and will play alongside big names like Faf Du Plessis, Doug Bracewell (New Zealand), Gerald Coetzee, and many more. “The SA20 league is the biggest and most competitive league in South Africa, where players from across the world are auctioned and placed in teams for a tournament. The best players in the world play in this tournament,” said King.

 

 

He mentioned that his phone has been going crazy since the news broke and he truly appreciates all the support he is receiving. He is also thrilled for his brother, C.J. King, who was also chosen as a rookie pick. “It is unbelievable. We have been playing alongside one another our whole lives, we play together at the Warriors, and playing in the SA20 is both our biggest dream,” J.P. King added.

 

C.J. King, 20 years old, was chosen as the rookie draft pick for Durban’s Super Giants. His career kicked off in 2022 when he played his debut game for the North West Dragons in a four-day game. In 2023, he was offered a contract with The Warriors. King describes this opportunity as a great start to his career and acknowledges that all eyes are on them.

 

“It is incredible, one of the biggest things to happen in my career and life thus far. I am so thankful for the opportunity,” said King. He enjoys playing for the Warriors and, despite the uncertain future, he would like to continue his contract with them. The brothers believe that hard work and dedication got them this far and that their accomplishments are not merely due to genetics.

 

 

The two brothers will play against each other in the tournament, a change from being on the same team. “It is always weird to play against one another. We have played together for the majority of the time, but it definitely won’t be easy,” said C.J. King.

 

Edited by Bex Odell and Simoné de Witt