A total of 541 players are confirmed for the fourth season of SA20, but there are no Indians in the final list. The auction will be held on September 9 in Johannesburg, and the tournament will start on December 26, 2025. This year, over 800 players registered the highest ever for the league. Around 13 Indians, including Piyush Chawla and Siddharth Kaul, had signed up. Even Ravichandran Ashwin, who recently retired from the IPL, had shown interest in playing in a foreign T20 league, but his name is missing from the final pool.

Out of the 541 players, 300 are from South Africa and 241 are from other countries. The list features big names like Shakib Al Hasan from Bangladesh, who could become the first Bangladeshi to play in SA20, and England’s James Anderson. Other English stars such as Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Adam Rossington, Jordan Cox, and Daniel Worrall are also included.

🚨 SA2025 Auction Overseas List

- 241 overseas players have registered.

Includes players like Gurbaz, Shakib, Fizz, Roy, Cox, Hales, TKC, Moeen, Anderson and Theekshana.

1/2 pic.twitter.com/5NIewJL7rq

— T20 Franchise Rosters (Men) (@t20tracker) September 1, 2025

Strong South African Line-up

Top South African players like Aiden Markram, Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, and Test World Champions Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Tony de Zorzi, and Dane Paterson will also be part of the auction.

ALSO READ: Wasim Akram vs Jasprit Bumrah – Pakistan legend finally settles the big debate

Auction Details

There are still 84 spots open across the six teams with a total budget of R131 million (about US$7.37 million). Out of these, 25 spots are for overseas players. Each team must have 19 players, including at least 9 South Africans, up to 7 overseas players, 2 South African players under 23, and 1 wildcard pick.

After Australia’s huge victory during the opening T20I encounter of the three-match series at the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin against South Africa, the visitors looked to make a strong comeback during the second fixture at the same venue. Another loss in the toss for Aiden Markram saw the Proteas forced to bat first. Both made changes to the playing elevens. 

Rassie van der Dussen comes at number three while Nqabayomzi Peter returned to the eleven, replacing George Linde and Senuran Muthusamy. For the Mitchell Marsh-led side, Alex Carey returned to the shortest format for Australia after four years alongside Sean Abbott. Josh Inglis and Nathan Ellis made way out of the team.

See Also: Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdesh posts emotional Instagram story for stray dogs

The most viral video came on the final ball of the third over from Josh Hazlewood, who went short against Aiden Markram. The batter loved the length and picked it early to deposit it over deep square leg for half a dozen as the spectator grabbed a fine one-handed catch. The Rainbow nation scored 32 runs for the loss of no wicket in the first three overs of the first innings.

Watch: Aiden Markram pulls Josh Hazlewood for massive six during AUS vs SA 2nd T20I match

Markram smashed the very first ball of the innings through the covers for a four before chipping it through mid-off with impeccable timing for the same result. After a silent over of four runs from Glenn Maxwell in the second over, Ryan Ricketon joined the party.

Hazlewood to Markram - Six🥵
He conceded 28 runs in the powerplay (Shocking ) pic.twitter.com/fjZ35m1VOi

— 𝙆𝙋𝙏𝘼𝘼𝙉 🇿🇦 (@was_Kptaan) August 12, 2025

The first ball of the third over was a good length delivery around middle and leg, which was heaved over the mid-on region by the southpaw. The second ball was slapped over deep mid-wicket for a towering six before finding the gap between the backward point and short third man for a huge four.

South Africa struggled a little in the second half of the powerplay and ended with 2/50 in six overs. But the best came from Dewald Brevis, who took on the other bowlers to stretch themselves to 123/3 in 12 overs. Brevis smashed 67 runs by then in 29 balls, having already smacked Maxwell for 24 runs, including three sixes in six balls.

South Africa has named a strong 15-member squad for their upcoming white-ball away series against Australia, scheduled to take place next month. They are currently playing in the Zimbabwe T20I tri-series involving New Zealand. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma will return to lead the T20I and ODI squads, respectively.

Dewald Brevis, the upcoming star batter, along with Lhuan-dre-Pretorious, have been selected in both squads. David Miller, the veteran lower-order batter, is not part of both squads due to potentially being available for the Hundred 2025. Keshav Maharaj, who couldn’t take part in the second Bulawayo Test against Zimbabwe, returns for the ODI series.

See Also: Breaking News!! Rishabh Pant’s latest injury update revealed for ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

It’s great to have our senior players back in the mix after their rest following the WTC Final. Their experience and quality add real value to the group as we continue to build a strong core in both formats. Every series from here on plays a part in shaping our squads for next year’s T20 World Cup and the 50-over World Cup at home in 2027.’ Their head coach, Shukri Conrad, expressed.

South Africa announce squad for T20I and ODI series vs Australia

Kagiso Rabada, who missed the Zimbabwe trip, after the end of the winning campaign in the WTC 2023-25 final against Australia in June, returns for both series against Australia as they look forward to go a step forward from the runners-up finish of the last edition of the T20 World Cup for the 2026 season in India and Sri Lanka.

The T20I series will begin on August 10 as the first two games will be played at the Marrara Stadium in Darwin before the action moves to the Cazalys Stadium in Cairns for the third T20I and first ODI. The tour will end with the last two 50-over fixtures at the Great Barrier Reef Arana in Mackay.

South Africa’s T20I squad against Australia

Aiden Markram (c), Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre-Pretorious, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Rassie Van Der Dussen.

South Africa’s ODI squad against Australia

Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre-Pretorious, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen.

The two-time SA20-winning captain for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Aiden Markram, will head into the auction of the SA20 season for 2025/26. He opted for the decision after asking the franchise not to retain him. Even though the franchise will have the option to get him back, using the right to match card. He was the third leading run-getter of the last season, where his side ended as the runner-up.

SA20, which is now three seasons old, has seen several marquee players being either retained or picked by the franchise in the pre-signed category. Some of the big names in the overseas lot include Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler, and Andre Russell. The administrators decided that every side could retain a maximum of six players from the short history.

See Also: Sarfaraz Khan credits iconic player to motivate him for transformation

For the first time, a wildcard option has been added which will allow the franchises to pick one player- domestic or international- for a price, which is outside the given purse. This will be the biggest auction of the event since its launch in 2022, with 72 out of a total of 102 places available for six sides to fill up. The salary cap has increased to Rand 41 million from Rand 39.1 million.

SA20 2025/26 retention: Six franchises revealed list of retained players

Unlike the previous editions of the SA20, where the event clashed with the ILT20 and created issues on the availability of the star players, both competitions will not overlap on this occasion as the SA20 will begin on Boxing Day (December 26) while the ILT20 window has fallen between December 02 and January 04.

This is the following list of players retained by all six franchises of the competition.

MI Cape Town

Retained: Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, and Corbin Bosch

Pre-signing: Nicholas Pooran

Wild-card: Kagiso Rabada

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Pre-signing: Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne

Retained: Tristan Stubbs

Wild Card: Marco Jansen

Johannesburg Super Kings

Retained: Faf du Plessis.

Wildcard- Donovan Ferreira 

Pre-signing: James Vince, Richard Gleeson, and Akeal Hosein

Pretoria Capitals

Pre-signing: Andre Russell, Will Jacks, and Sherfane Rutherford

Paarl Royals

Retentions: Lhuan-de-Pretorious, David Miller, and Bjorn Fortuin

Pre-signing: Sikandar Raza and Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman

Wild-card: Rubin Hermann. 

Durban Super Giants

Pre-signing: Sunil Narine and Jos Buttler

Retained: Noor Ahmed

Wildcard: Heinrich Klassen

The ICC announced the nominees for the ICC Men's Player of the Month for June 2025, with three of the game's longest-format stars. Two South African stars from their record-breaking ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 victory and one reliable Sri Lankan opener lead the shortlist.

Aiden Markram (South Africa)

South African opener Aiden Markram was the fulcrum of his team's WTC Final triumph at Lord's, delivering when it mattered. First, he did so with the ball, bowling out Steve Smith with his sixth ball after the Australian had settled in during a handy partnership with Beau Webster.

Markram made a forgettable batting debut in the first innings, bowled without a run by Mitchell Starc. But Markram left his stamp of class in the second innings. South Africa was chasing a tall 282 at that time, and Markram took the stage after the early fall of Ryan Rickelton. He formed crucial partnerships with Wiaan Mulder and captain Temba Bavuma, who was nursing an injury. Markram even comforted Bavuma in the dressing room, exhibiting calm leadership under pressure.

He continued to score a regal 136, leading South Africa to their five-wicket victory and first ICC senior men's title in 27 years. Markram also removed the last wicket of Australia's second innings, having Josh Hazlewood out to seal the deal with both bat and ball.

Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)

Rabada spearheaded South Africa's pace group with customary aggression and accuracy in the WTC Final. In a swing-friendly Day 1 at Lord's, he got the ball rolling by dismissing Usman Khawaja and then went on to take his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests. His 33.4 overs through the air for the match returned nine wickets for only 110 runs.

ALSO SEE: Prithvi Shaw joins new team for the upcoming domestic season

He became almost unplayable at times, sending away important batsmen such as Cameron Green, Alex Carey, and Nathan Lyon in the second innings. Rabada's work ensured that Australia never got away with the game. He finished the Test fourth on South Africa's list of all-time Test wicket-takers with 336 wickets, having gone past Allan Donald.

Pathum Nissanka (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka’s dependable opener Pathum Nissanka had a phenomenal start to the new WTC cycle, notching back-to-back centuries in the home Test series against Bangladesh. After Bangladesh posted 495 in Galle, Nissanka responded with a career-best 187, which included 24 boundaries and a six. His effort helped Sri Lanka come within 10 runs of the total.

Following a difficult 32-over phase towards the end of the game, Nissanka's grit secured 24 in a tense second innings, securing a draw. In the second Test, he complemented it with another brilliant knock of 158, studded with 19 fours. His brilliant batting helped Sri Lanka post a 211-run lead, setting the stage for a crucial innings-and-78-run win and a 1-0 series win.

In June, all the nominees performed game-altering pieces of work, either through series-defining consistency or under extremely tight final situations. The ICC Men's Player of the Month for June 2025 is now open to vote for by fans.

Finally, South Africa managed to win an ICC trophy by beating Australia in the 2025 WTC final at lords, which wiped out their chokers tag. Chasing 282 was a tough ask, but Aiden Markram's 136 and captain Temba Bavuma's 66 made things look simple. Pacer Kagiso Rabada played his part, claiming 9 wickets in the entire match.

Aiden Markram was announced the player of the match. The right-hander was also a part of the under-19 World Cup team that won the trophy in 2014 in the UAE. In this piece, we highlight three South African players who were part of both the 2025 WTC final as well as the 2014 Under-19 World Cup final team:

1.Aiden Markram

Markram was the core of the South African batting lineup in the 2025 WTC final. The right-hander got out for a duck in the first innings but scored a stupendous 136 in the second innings, helping his team chase 282 in difficult playing conditions. Markram showcased a calm temperament and batted with assurance.

The 30-year-old was the captain of the under-19 team that won the 2014 under-19 World Cup in the UAE. In that tournament, he scored 370 runs with an average of 123.33 and a strike rate of 77.89, scoring 2 centuries and 1 half century. Markram scored 66 in the final of that tournament against Pakistan, where South Africa needed just 132 to win the final. In that tournament, Markram was named the man of the tournament.

2.Kagiso Rabada

Rabada played a crucial role in the 2025 WTC final as his performance laid the foundation for South Africa's win. The pacer took full advantage after South Africa won the toss and chose to bowl. The 30-year-old cracked open the Australian batting line-up in the first innings, claiming 5/51 and taking crucial wickets. In the second innings, he registered figures of 4/59. 

Rabada was also a key figure during the 2104 under-19 World Cup in UAE when he claimed 10 wickets in the tournament with best figures of 6/25 against Australia in the semi-final, an economy rate of 3.10 and an average of 10.28. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in that tournament. In the final against Pakistan, his figures were 28/1 which were quite impressive as he didn't allow the Pakistani batters to score easily.

See Also:"Probably the best innings.." Former SA-born English star awestruck after Markram's match-winning heroics in WTC Final

3. Corbin Bosch

Bosch is amongst the most exciting all rounders in South African set up at the moment. He was included in the 2025 WTC final playing XI. He made his test debut last year against Pakistan, where he claimed 4/63 in the first innings of the first test at Centurion and also scored an impressive unbeaten 81.

The 30-year-old all-rounder was the player of the match during the final of the 2014 Under-19 World Cup against Pakistan in the UAE when he registered figures of 4/15 and also claimed 9 wickets in that tournament with an average of 14.66 and an economy rate of 3.25.

South Africa surprised everyone with an inspiring win over Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord's. The Proteas managed to shed their chokers tag by winning an ICC event after a long time. South Africa showcased tremendous temperament in challenging playing conditions with their committed resolve.

Team India is all set to play a five-match test series against England from next week, and this win can be a motivational source for Team India. Team India will find the playing conditions tough, as it is difficult to beat England at home. Team India can certainly learn from South Africa on how to prepare for a challenging task. We discuss three key points that India can learn from South Africa as far as taking on England in England is concerned:

1. Preparing in the right manner

South Africa prepared well ahead of the WTC final as most of their players were recalled from franchise tournaments, including the IPL. The results were clearly visible as pacer Kagiso Rabada had enough time to prepare, and he was the one who played a crucial role in the win. He took 9 wickets in the entire match. He didn't even play the playoffs for the Gujarat Titans. On the other hand, Aiden Markram didn't play the last league match for Lucknow Super Giants against RCB to join the national team.

His century in the fourth innings turned out to be crucial for South Africa. On the other hand, key Team India players couldn't get preparation time during the 2023 WTC final due to IPL commitments, while some Australian players didn't play the 2023 IPL to prepare for the 2023 WTC final, and the result was visible.  

2.Dealing with Injuries and the team rebuilding phase

Former South African captain Dean Elgar's retirement call after the home test series against India was surprising. It was South Africa's first series of a new cycle, due to which they had to go back to a backup plan, and they had to appoint Temba Bavuma in a very short time. The team needed time to adjust under the leadership of a new captain. South Africa could hardly match Team India in the WTC points table during that period, and the team lost to a New Zealand team, which had new players. Players like Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee and Nandre Burger's injuries gave the team management a tough time and they had to face problems while adding new players.

Players like Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Dane Paterson etc played their part during the entire WTC campaign. These players have added depth and enough options in the dugout. The Indian team is also in a similar situation in test cricket as they too are under a rebuilding phase in the five-day format after the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. It would be interesting to see how they cope up with this phase that could define their position in the next WTC cycle.

Also See:Watch: South Africa lifts Test mace after winning WTC Final 2025

3. Adjusting to conditions

South Africa won the toss in the final and elected to bowl first, knowing that the conditions and wicket would aid the batters as the match progressed, even though the conditions were overcast on the first day. South African bowlers bowled well and managed to bowl Australia out for 212.

Team India had also won the toss in the 2023 WTC final, but their bowlers couldn't take the advantage and allowed Australia to score 469, even though they were 76/3 at one stage. On the third day, when there was sunshine, South African batters took full advantage of the wicket and adjusted to conditions well that allowed their batters to play their shots as the ball was coming onto the bat nicely. Australian bowlers found it difficult to bowl on the wicket. 

Rishabh Pant posted a heartfelt message for his Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) teammate Aiden Markram after the historic win of South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter, who is with India's team gearing up for the England Test series, took to social media to praise Markram's match-winning century over Australia on Saturday, June 14.

Pant, who led LSG in the just-concluded IPL 2025, has grown close to foreign teammates Nicholas Pooran and Aiden Markram. Although LSG missed out on a playoff spot, both Markram and Pooran impressed with the bat, scoring 445 and 524 runs, respectively. Earlier this week, Pant also paid tribute to Pooran after the West Indies star announced his retirement from international cricket.

In the wake of South Africa's five-wicket win over Australia, which finally ended their ICC title drought, Pant lauded Markram's calmness and brilliance during the final. Addressing him as his "brother," India's star player wrote:

A Bond Beyond Franchises

"Well played, Aiden, brother. I am so happy for you—what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud, and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace," Pant tweeted on X.

Well played, Aiden brother . I am so happy for you - what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace.👏🏆 pic.twitter.com/YNqaj4gFis

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) June 14, 2025

See Also: MLC 2025, SF vs NY Match 6: Oakland Coliseum cricket stadium stats and Head to Head

Pant is already in Kent, taking part in India's intra-squad warm-up match as part of their build-up to the five-Test series against England, which starts on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. South Africa, on the other hand, will play a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe from June 28 at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.

The calmness after a storm. Aiden Markram probably experienced his best career moment at Lord's after winning the World Test Championship 2025 (WTC Final 2025). When he sips the beer after the match, he might taste heaven. A journalist asked him about the beer-sipping incident during the post-match press conference; Markam replied in a most hilarious way. 

Aiden Markram proved to be the key figure for South Africa's WTC triumph. The 30-year-old batter scored 136, playing 207 deliveries, with fourteen boundaries. When South Africa was facing difficulties against Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Markram and their skipper Temba Bavuma stepped onto the field to the rescue. But on a slightly sad note, Markram did not hit the winning runs. When SA needed only 6 to win the 'ultimate Test,' the centurion lost his wicket to Hazlewood. David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne did the rest of the business without any further twist. 

After smashing the final run, emotions were flowing all over the stadium. There was no forecast of rain; sun rays were melting on the shiny green grass; white, broken clouds made the day more poetic. A perfect summer place symphony for South Africa. Markram, with a big smiling face, went to a person holding a beer mug in the front area of the gallery space. The hero of the match for SA grabbed the mug and sipped beer from the mug. 

Read More: [WATCH] WTC Final SA vs AUS: Relive History in making as South Africa win ICC title after 27 years

Hilarious reply from Aiden Markram 

Fans and journalists were curious to know about the person waiting in the gallery. Markram said, "That was one of my mates from school. He wanted me to come over, and I said, "Flip, man, I can't; it's too busy; it's chaos." And then he was like, "Well, here's a beer." And I was like, OK, I'm in. So, I've had my first one for today, and I'm pretty sure there'll be a few more." 

It is said that winning the Test mace can prove to be a turning point for the cricket history of South Africa. Markram also felt the same. During the press conference he said, "The No. 1 priority should always be to play test cricket." I've always felt that and believed that, and if we can get that back with the younger people coming through, I think we've done well."

Watch the enjoyable moment here:

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by ICC (@icc)

English batting stalwart Kevin Pietersen heaped massive praise on South African opener Aiden Markram following his match-winning century in the fourth innings of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, which derailed the defending champions Australia by a margin of five wickets. His innings had the inscription of skill, class, and resilience written all over it. In the epic WTC Final run chase, Markram left no scope for any slip-ups and toiled hard over 370 minutes to score 136 runs in 207 balls, thus single-handedly setting the game for the Proteas. 

See also: WTC Final 2025: Aiden Markram reveals how the T20 World Cup heartbreak propelled him onto the path of glory

Markram's WTC Final ton leaves Pietersen awestruck

During his recent interaction with JioHotstar (via ANI), Pietersen made a confession in regards to Markram's knock, calling it the best knock by any South African in Test cricket. The cricketer-turned-commentator was amazed to see the way Markram went about absorbing the pressure and how successfully he was able to overcome the failures of the first innings.  

"Probably the best innings any South African batter has ever played in Test match cricket. It might not go down as the most attacking or entertaining if you look back at South Africa's Test history -- but when you factor in the expectation, the stage, and the pressure after failing in the first innings, it was extraordinary."

Apart from taking South Africa to glory, Markram also managed to unlock some new milestones in Test cricket. He made it to the elite list of the highest score achieved by any visiting batter in the fourth innings of the Lord's Test. The 30-year-old shares the third spot in the list along with Michael Clarke of Australia.

This was Markram's third Test century in the fourth innings. The 30-year-old now has the second-highest number of Test centuries in the fourth innings of the Test match after Sunil Gavaskar (4) and Graeme Smith (4). Pietersen highlighted that Markram was under immense pressure early doors when he lost Rickelton and Mulder in quick succession. But his calm demeanour and his mental toughness brought the mighty Aussies down on their news in the mega WTC Final.