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.

The former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, is going to be the new head coach for the Pretoria Capitals ahead of the fourth season of the SA20 during the 2025-26 season, starting on Boxing Day, December 26. He will replace the former England captain, Jonathan Trott, in this position, having already acted as the director of the game at JSW Sports. It’s been the parent company of the side since last year.

The Capitals franchise of South Africa have had an unstable time in the tournament so far, as they finished the first season at the top of the points table in the group stage of the competition, before they lost the final against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Port Elizabeth.

See Also: Afghanistan reveals schedule and dates for white-ball series against Bangladesh

In the first two editions since then, in 2023-24 and 2024/25, they couldn’t do well and ended at the fifth rank both times, after failing to qualify for the playoffs. In the last season, they were under the leadership of wicket-keeper batter Kyle Verrynne, with several top-class batters, Will Jacks and Will Smeed, in the playing eleven.

Sourav Ganguly appointed as head coach of Pretoria Capitals ahead of SA20 2025-26

Pretoria will be aiming to see their luck getting turned around with the appointment of Ganguly, who was part of Delhi Capitals’ coaching stint during the previous seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This will be the former India captain's first time as the head coach. For four years, he was the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) between 2015 and 2019.

Ganguly joined the Delhi franchise as the mentor for the 2019 edition of the tournament, but later, he left the team soon after he became the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In the time since then, his appointment as JSW’s director of cricket pushed him to get close to one of the franchises of Delhi, which had co-ownership in the IPL and WPL.

His first focus will be the upcoming player auction on September 09, where they will look for fresh players in the squad with the appointment of a new coach.

SA20 is getting ready for its fourth edition auction, as more than 750 players have registered their names for the upcoming auction, where 13 players are from India, including an IPL legend. 

SA20 4 has been scheduled between December 26, 2025, and January 25, 2026, as the tournament has been scheduled earlier due to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 schedule, which India and Sri Lanka will host between February and March 2026. On September 9, the SA20 auction will be held. A total of 784 players have registered their names for the upcoming auction. 

Piyush Chawla registered for SA20 auction

IPL legend Piyush Chawla, who is the joint third leading wicket-taker at present (192 wickets), has registered his name for the upcoming SA20 auction. Chawla also served for India in 35 international games, while the leg-spinner was a member of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 winning team. Chawla has a reserve price of 1,000,000 Rand for the upcoming SA20 auction.

Also, former Indian cricketer Siddarth Kaul, who played six matches for India and 55 IPL matches, is also in the upcoming SA20 auction, along with Ankit Rajpoot, who played 29 IPL matches. Kaul was India's joint leading wicket-taker when Virat Kohli-led India U19 won the ICC U19 World Cup 2008. 

Apart from these three players, the other Indians for the upcoming SA20 auction registration are Mahesh Ahir, Sarul Kanwar, Anureet Singh Kathuria, Nikhil Jaga, Mohamed Faidh, KS Naveen, Ansari Marouf, Imran Khan, Venkatesh Galipelly, and Atul Yadav. While Imran Khan has a base value of 500,000 Rand, the other 11 Indian cricketers all have a base value of 200,000 Rand.

Due to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI )'s strict rules, only retired cricketers and inactive national and IPL players can join the overseas franchise cricket league. However, the active Indian cricketers and IPL cricketers can participate in the English County Championship cricket and one-day cricket with the permission of the central governing board. 

See Also: Mumbai Indians add new franchise in successful journey

Dinesh Karthik played last SA20

Last season, Dinesh Karthik participated in the SA20, serving for Paarl Royals, who were eliminated from Qualifier 2 after finishing in second position in the league stage points table. 

There are 84 slots available for six franchises that can spend upto USD 7.4 million in the forthcoming SA20 auction. 150 English cricketers and 40 Pakistan players have also registered for the upcoming auction. 

SA20 organisers are confident about the league’s growing stature and are not worried about competition from Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). Commissioner Graeme Smith shared that the tournament has already built a solid foundation.

He pointed out that SA20 has quickly gained recognition, both locally and internationally, with strong fan engagement and quality performances from players across the globe. This growth, according to Smith, has given the league a secure position in the cricketing calendar.

With the BBL aiming to become the second-largest T20 competition after the IPL, Smith emphasized that SA20’s vision remains focused on sustainability and long-term impact. He believes the league has already made significant strides to hold its own.

See Also: 3 potential reasons why KL Rahul should be included in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Graeme Smith on Impact of SA20:

The SA20’s fourth season starts on Boxing Day, with all six teams owned by IPL investors. With a salary cap of R41 million (US$2.31 million), the league stands second only to the IPL in financial strength.

Commissioner Graeme Smith said strong franchise support makes SA20 one of the leading global T20 leagues. With a marquee auction scheduled for September 9, he emphasized the organisers’ commitment to maintaining this status. Smith discussed these details with ESPNcricinfo before player registrations closed for the upcoming SA20 auction.

He said, “ When we started we were built up against the ILT20 and Big Bash and we set ourselves big ambitions upfront. In the southern hemisphere window we want to dominate and we want to be the biggest league outside the IPL. Three years in, we've set the standard. Every decision we make is around making sure that we uphold those standards.”

He added, “ I expect there will be a top number of leagues that will elevate themselves in a calendar cycle and that will be the priority for players, investors and fans. Our ambitions are to remain right at the top of that alongside IPL.”

CA targets second spot with BBL privatisation plans:

Smith’s remarks follow closely after Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg stated on SEN radio that his board would “openly” pursue the position of the world’s second-biggest T20 league. Greenberg mentioned that they are considering the option of privatisation as part of their strategy to elevate the Big Bash League’s status in global cricket.

Todd Greenberg said, “ It's going to be very hard to chase the IPL, given the scale of cricket in India, but unashamedly, we want to run a league that comes second. And to do that we're going to need to make sure that player availability and player salaries are commensurate with everything else that goes on around the world, and there's one thing you need for that, you need money, you need investment. We'd be naive if we weren't asking ourselves these questions and making sure we've got an eye on what's next.”

The BBL’s decision to explore private investment marks it as the last major T20 league to move beyond board-controlled funding. Recently, The Hundred followed a similar path, finalising ownership deals for six of its eight franchises ahead of the upcoming season.

While The Hundred’s developments don’t directly impact SA20 due to their separate schedules, the BBL presents a different challenge. Since the BBL coincides with the SA20, the overlap could lead to competition for recognition and, more importantly, for player availability. This clash of windows may create tough choices for cricketers and potentially spark a rivalry between the leagues.

Smith backs SA20 priority over international commitments:

Graeme Smith stays optimistic about SA20 despite BBL competition. Unlike Australia, whose league runs alongside their international summer and often misses Test stars, South Africa ensures all its contracted and national players prioritize the SA20, even ahead of international fixtures.

An example came last year when South Africa fielded a weakened Test squad against New Zealand to protect the SA20. Though this decision drew criticism, South Africa later won the World Test Championship final. Smith believes this outcome shows that with proper planning, international cricket and franchise leagues can successfully co-exist without diminishing either format.

He said, “ Everyone was worried that we were going to destroy Test cricket but we've seen our national team go on a few years later to win the World Test Championship final. We've all played our role in the ecosystem. We've been part of bringing gravitas back to South African cricket, seeing new fans come back to the game and new energy.”

The SA20 has also drawn international stars, including several English Test players who joined last season during their winter break. Although this year’s Ashes series may limit such participation, Graeme Smith remains optimistic about attracting a strong group of overseas players, ensuring the league continues to feature global talent alongside South Africa’s top domestic and national cricketers.

He further said, “ In the first two seasons we saw a lot of the England white-ball players come through and then with the FTP ebbing and flowing every year that changes. So this year with the Ashes, we see some of those white ball players come back and maybe the Test players won't form part of this season.”

He added, “ The Ashes finishes on the ninth (of January, 2026). I don't know if some of their players will form part of replacement lists but we've seen the likes of a Jos Butler come back into the tournament this year as an example.”

SA20 Season Four Set During Festive Period:

Jos Buttler, previously with Paarl Royals, has been signed by Durban Super Giants for SA20 season four. Franchises could retain or pre-sign up to six players, and of the 36 available slots, only 13 went to South African players, which Graeme Smith expects will make the upcoming auction highly competitive.

Smith said, “ I expected a lot more top South African players to pre-sign and that didn't happen. From our perspective it's set up a very exciting auction with a very big purse.”

The SA20’s fourth season will take place during the festive period, with no home Tests scheduled in South Africa this summer. Matches won’t use the new drop-in pitches planned for the 2027 ODI World Cup, but Graeme Smith hopes the break from cricket will produce livelier surfaces than last year, which showed noticeable wear.

He added, “ The pitches last year didn't play as well as we would have liked and it's something that's being worked on in terms of revamping stadiums and facilities ahead of the World Cup. We're working closely with Cricket South Africa in terms of improving the quality of stadiums, lights and pitches. Everything is a big work in progress behind the scenes.”

The SA20 player auction is scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, with the registration window closing earlier on Monday, August 18. Cricketers aiming to feature in the fourth season must complete their registrations before this deadline, allowing franchises to prepare for the upcoming auction and finalise their squads ahead of the festive period tournament.

The SA20 Season 4 Auction promises to be an exciting event as all six franchises have already made strong statements by revealing their list of retained and pre-signed players ahead of the auction.

Each team was allowed to keep up to six players, with a limit of three South African and three overseas cricketers. This player retention window concluded on July 18, giving teams a solid foundation to build upon for the upcoming season. Additionally, all franchises have secured their six Wildcard picks. These Wildcards could include either overseas stars or local players who were part of the franchise's squad in Season 3. 

Attention now shifts to the auction scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, where teams will compete for the remaining 84 spots. With a total auction purse of USD 7.4 million, the bidding is expected to be intense as teams look to complete their squads for Season 4.

See Also: Sunil Narine and Jos Buttler join Durban’s Super Giants in SAT20 shake-Up

Full Squad Details and Available Auction Purse:

Durban Super Giants

Available Auction Purse: USD 1.6 million

Players: Sunil Narine, Noor Ahmad, Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen (Wildcard)

Joburg Super Kings

Available Auction Purse: USD 1.2 million

Players: Faf Du Plessis, James Vince, Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson, Donovan Ferreira (Wildcard)

MI Cape Town

Available Auction Purse: USD 654K

Players: Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada (Wildcard)

Paarl Royals

Available Auction Purse: USD 825K

Players: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sikandar Raza, Rubin Hermann (Wildcard)

Pretoria Capitals

Available Auction Purse: USD 1.8 million

Players: Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell (Wildcard)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Available Auction Purse: USD 1.2 million

Players: Tristan Stubbs, Allah Ghazanfar, Adam Milne, Jonny Bairstow, Marco Jansen (Wildcard)

Several prominent South African cricketers are set to feature in the auction, including WTC final stars Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj. Rising talents like Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka will also be up for grabs, along with seasoned T20 players Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi.

Graeme Smith, SA20 League Commissioner, said, “When the League first drafted its regulations in Season 1, we always saw this forthcoming season as an opportunity for a strategic reset — and this is exactly where we envisioned being. There’s now a strong balance between pre-signed and retained international and Proteas players, alongside a significant purse available for the auction.”

He further said, “ After three seasons, the franchises have developed a good understanding of the South Africa cricket ecosystem and adopted a distinct strategy, which sets the stage for the most exciting auction yet.”

In a significant shake-up ahead of the SAT20 2026 season, Durban Super Giants have pulled off a stunning double swoop pre-signing West Indies veteran Sunil Narine and England white-ball superstar Jos Buttler. Both marquee players come on board as pre-signed overseas recruits before the league’s mega auction, signaling DSG’s intent to dominate in the coming season.

Sunil Narine, long regarded as one of the most tactically intelligent T20 players, brings not just his unique bowling skills but also power-hitting credentials and captaincy experience. Speaking on his signing, Narine said, “Being invited to be part of the Super Giants family is an opportunity I value. I’ve heard great things about Mr. Goenka’s vision and the setup.” His addition gives DSG a versatile all-round option and a proven performer in high-pressure games.

Meanwhile, Jos Buttler’s move is seen as a massive coup. Having previously represented Paarl Royals, the English captain now shifts camps and becomes a centrepiece in Durban’s strategy. “I've had a great chat with Dr. Sanjiv Goenka and can’t wait to get stuck in with DSG,” Buttler said. His explosive starts at the top of the order and world-class finishing ability make him an ideal fit for the franchise.

Delighted to have @Heini22 and @noor_ahmad_15 continuing as key members of the @DurbansSG family, and a warm welcome to @josbuttler and Sunil Narine. Looking forward to the auction and an exciting season ahead. #SA20 #DSG pic.twitter.com/ImFPgErbYS

— Dr. Sanjiv Goenka (@DrSanjivGoenka) July 23, 2025

ALSO SEE: [WATCH] Kane Williamson celebrates maiden Country Championship 2025 century for Middlesex

DSG Flex Their Muscles with Star Signings and Key Retentions Ahead of SAT20 Auction

The franchise isn’t stopping at just overseas firepower. They’ve retained South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen as their wildcard pick, an aggressive middle-order option who has been a consistent performer for DSG. Afghan left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, another match-winner in the shortest format, has also been retained.

This aggressive pre-auction strategy sends a clear message to the rest of the league: Durban’s Super Giants are building a squad that blends experience, firepower, and tactical flexibility. With Narine and Buttler joining Klaasen and Noor Ahmad, DSG’s core is shaping up to be one of the strongest heading into the 2026 season. The SAT20 auction is still to come, but DSG has already drawn first blood, and the rest of the league will be watching closely.

Cricket is gearing up for a major global shake-up as the Champions League T20 format is set to return – this time with a new identity. Reports suggest the revamped competition will be called the World Club Championship, bringing together the winners of the world’s top T20 franchise leagues in a blockbuster tournament format.

Several sources have indicated that the event will take place in 2026, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) being two of the most invested in the revival. Furthermore, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has also given support to the idea, signalling its desire to take club T20 cricket globally.

Participating Leagues in the Inaugural Edition:

However, there’s a major omission. No team from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will feature in the first edition, reportedly due to Pakistan Cricket Board’s absence from a key meeting held in London. The meeting, hosted under the ICC’s umbrella, was attended by representatives of all the major T20 leagues, including the Emirates League, SA20, CPL, and more. The Lahore Qalandars, the reigning PSL champions, will miss out.

Building a Unified T20 Ecosystem – and Blunting Saudi Ambitions

ECB CEO Richard Gould, in a statement to ESPNcricinfo, confirmed that the tournament is indeed "on the cards" for both men and women, calling it “the next logical step” for the evolution of franchise cricket.

The World Club Championship is also reportedly being fast-tracked to counter the emergence of the Saudi Cricket League, a high-budget T20 initiative backed by a reported USD 400 million investment. Saudi plans to model their league on the tennis Grand Slam format, but opposition from top cricket boards like the BCCI and ECB – who are unlikely to grant NOCs to their players – has already created roadblocks.

ALSO SEE: RCB analyst credits this player over Virat Kohli for their maiden IPL 2025 title victory

With nearly every cricketing nation now boasting a franchise T20 league, a unified global competition makes strategic sense. It not only provides a global stage for top-performing teams but also gives players from emerging leagues – like those in the UAE and USA – a golden opportunity to rub shoulders with the sport’s elite.

A Global Reboot of Franchise Cricket's Biggest Stage

The concept closely mirrors the now-defunct Champions League T20, which ran from 2009 to 2014. That tournament saw top clubs from the IPL, BBL, South Africa’s Ram Slam, and others compete in a high-stakes, intercontinental format. The new World Club Championship aims to revive that legacy – but with a more inclusive, globally aligned structure.

Though the exact format and schedule are still under discussion, the World Club Championship is likely to:

• Feature winners (or top teams) from each major T20 league
  
• Rotate venues globally
  
• Feature both men’s and women’s editions in the long run
  
• Be supported by strong broadcast and commercial deals
  

The stage is now being set for what could become cricket’s ultimate franchise showdown. With most of the cricketing world on board and ICC backing secured, the World Club Championship promises to redefine the global T20 calendar – and spark new rivalries along the way.

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

In a major development for global T20 cricket, reports indicate that the long-defunct Champions League T20 is on track to make a grand return. The Cricketer has reported that the tournament has plans to relaunch in 2026, under a new name—the World Club Championship. The revamped competition aims to bring together top-performing T20 teams from around the world in a new, exciting format.

The new tournament will have a similar structure to the original tournament, Champions League T20 with champions of premier domestic T20 leagues like the IPL, BBL, PSL, SA20 and The Hundred participating. While specific details such as the number of participating teams are still under discussion, reports suggest that the ECB is likely to propose that winners of The Hundred participate instead of those from the Vitality Blast. The initiative has already gained traction, receiving backing from both the BCCI and ECB, with ICC Chairman Jay Shah reportedly giving the green light.

"That is on the cards. Without a doubt, at some point, there will be a World Club Championship for both men and women. That's the next logical step," said ECB’s Richard Gould, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. The idea is to create a true global club championship that mirrors the prestige and competition level of football’s UEFA Champions League.

The Rise, Fall, and Revival of CLT20

The Champions League T20 tournament was launched in 2009 and was held annually until 2014. Although it was scheduled for its sixth tournament in 2015, the tournament was cancelled due to poor viewership and lack of a dedicated sponsor. It featured Tier 1 teams from four leagues, with IPL teams the most represented, often with three IPL teams qualifying. Notably, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians were the most successful franchises, each winning the tournament twice.

🚨 Champions League T20 set to be revived as World Club Championship from 2026 with teams from #IPL, 100 & #BBL participating (as per The Cricketer)

Another report says that Jay Shah's ICC has given its backing too (as per Cricxtasy)

Used to pray for such times😭 #CLT20 #GSLT20 pic.twitter.com/P5z5AmorNC

— t20 and nations (@t20andnations) July 1, 2025

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The revival comes at a time when T20 leagues have flourished globally, providing a perfect setting for a truly competitive club championship. With more leagues and higher global interest in franchise cricket, the World Club Championship could finally deliver on the promise of an international platform for domestic T20 champions—potentially becoming cricket’s version of the football Champions League.

The new season of the SA20 is almost here, and all attention is on Johannesburg on Tuesday, September 9 for the undoubtably exciting player auction. The 2025 player auction, which will see up to 72 player slots available, is yearning for bidding wars, strategic acquisitions, and some surprises! The format of the auction is consistent with past years, with respect for each team keeping a strong South African contingent. Each team can have a maximum of seven overseas players, and must have 11 South Africans as part of their regular squad of 18.

To help develop more young players, and preserve competitive balance, every franchise can pre-sign or retain a maximum of six players before the auction, consisting of a maximum of three overseas and three South African players. Another key feature returning this year is the Wildcard option. Each franchise can acquire a Wildcard player - local or international, with their salary excluded from the teams' salary cap. All these rules are intended to promote squad balance but create also flexibility and excitement.

See Also: Zimbabwe Set to Host Sri Lanka for White-Ball Showdown in Harare This August

This year’s salary cap has been raised to an all-time high of USD 2.3 million per team, up from USD 1.9 million in Season 1. The increased purse makes SA20 the highest-paying franchise T20 league outside of India. One of the biggest innovations for Season 4 is the introduction of Right to Match (RTM) cards. For the first time in SA20 history, franchises can use RTM cards to retain players who were part of their squad in the previous season by matching the winning bid during the auction.

Richard Madley to host the event

The RTM cards add a strategic twist to this year’s proceedings, especially since the number of RTM cards per team will depend on how many South African players they have pre-retained. Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, highlighted how nearly 60% of all squad spots will be decided during the auction, adding a fresh layer of strategy to squad building. He also reaffirmed SA20’s commitment to young players. Although the Rookie Draft has been removed, each franchise must include at least two Under-23 players in their final 19-member squads.

Popular auctioneer Richard Madley will return to host the event, continuing his now-iconic association with SA20. The auction event will be streamed live on SuperSport and on the SA20 YouTube Channel, with further updates to be shared in real-time via the league’s social media channels. This auction provides a perfect start to Season 4 and highlights a pivotal moment ahead of what we hope will be the league’s biggest and most exciting season ready to be announced. With the tournament beginning on 26 December 2025, the viewing public can expect some of the best cricket around, during the holiday season, at the best cricket venues in the country.