Johannesburg – Cricket fan Johan de Graaff has had a pretty good cricket season so far and hopes his luck continues as teams duel it out for T20 World Cup glory in the Caribbean.
De Graaf literally struck gold when he won a sought-after Krugerrand gold coin in a Sunbet competition that ran during the Indian Premier League (IPL) which concluded at the end of May.
As a cricket fan and Sunbet customer, he regularly bets on the sunbet.co.za platform and has been betting on the IPL.
His two favourite teams, the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, met in the final on 26 May and he also successfully bet on the KKR walking away the winners.
But it was a random bet placed on the IPL which saw De Graaf go up against another Sunbet customer, Yugandran Chengadu from Durban, in a coin toss at the Wanderers, also known by cricket fans as ‘The Bullring’.
“I always play the IPL as cricket is my favourite sport and I did okay on betting on the IPL this year,” De Graaf said.
“Both my teams made it to the final and I won in the final as well.”
When contacted by Sunbet to inform him that he was one of two finalists in the #TossForGold IPL promotion, he was in disbelief and said he at first thought it was someone “trying to sell me something”.
Before a crowd of cricket fans and Lions cricket men and women players, the finalists were introduced by MC Mpendulo Magubane who is also the public announcer for Lions franchise cricket, before Sunbet Chief Operating Officer Gideon Mann did the Krugerrand coin toss.
De Graaff described the Krugerrand win as a “really nice surprise” and said he will “likely keep it”.
He was also thankful to Sunbet for putting in a “lot of effort” to make the day special, allowing fans the opportunity to engage with some of the Lions men and women players, as well as ground staff, and to also experience the dressing room and walk through the famed tunnel at the Bullring.
Johan de Graaf pictured with fellow finalist, Yugandran Chengadu from Durban, after winning the coveted Krugerrand. 
Sunbet winner, Johan de Graaf, accepting his Krugerrand from Sunbet Chief Operating Officer Gideon Mann. 
A good sport & fellow finalist Yugandran Chengadu congratulating Johan de Graaf 
Johan de Graaf walking through the famed tunnel at the Bullring, Wanderers ahead of his fortunate win.
“I have a long association with the Wanderers as this is my home ground and I often come to watch matches live here,” he said.
“It was interesting to talk to the players about franchise cricket, the demands, and also how short careers are.”
“Thank you Sunbet for an awesome winning experience,” he added.
Sunbet CMO Justin Palte said: “We are delighted to have been able to deepen and enrich the experience of our customer in Johan.
“This is a big part of Sunbet moving forward, offering rewarding and engaging experiences to our members who use our platform.”
The Sunbet.co.za platform offers all main sporting codes such as football, rugby, cricket, golf, and horseracing, as well as all major events such as world cups and more, as well as fixed odd bets on the outcome of slots and tables games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat.
De Graaff is on a golden winning streak, and he will hope to keep it going for longer.
A subsidiary of Sun International Limited, Sunbet strives to provide a safe and secure online betting experience and is part of one of the largest trusted and reputable gaming brands in South Africa.
