The two-time SA20-winning captain, Aiden Markram, headlined the auction for the Durban Super Giants as their highest-paid player in history. The T20I captain of the South Africa side, who is already part of the Super Giants family in Lucknow of the Indian Premier League (IPL), fetched R14 million at the paddle bidding war.

The Durban side made a unique post of a ship going towards their new mission for the 2025/26 season, as they named Aiden Markram as their new leader of the side. It was given after they didn’t retain or get back their former leader, the left-arm spinner of the side, Keshav Maharaj. After the last season’s poor performance, a change was expected anyway.

See Also: GT star makes surprising pick of best finisher between MS Dhoni and Ab de Villiers in IPL history

Markram, the 30-year-old, has smashed 4950 T20 runs in 190 innings at an average of 30.74 and a strike rate of 133.67 with 32 fifties and one century. The Centurion-born has clubbed 967runs overall in SA20 at a strike rate of more than 130 with five fifties and one century.

Durban Super Giants name Aiden Markram their new captain for SA20 2025/26

With a huge superstar of the shortest format, Heinrich Klassen, in the side, the speculation was whether Markram would get the responsibility of leadership, but his fine CV of two titles for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape has perhaps pushed him to the position. He is expected to open with Davon Conway in the format.

Aiden Markram. That's it, that's the 𝘊𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯💙 pic.twitter.com/fKVXYZRJc4

— Durban's Super Giants (@DurbansSG) September 13, 2025

In the spin department, they will have to seriously great spinners, Noor Ahmed and Sunil Narine. Jos Buttler is expected to bat at the number three position as they will have the mixture of youth and experience of Kwena Maphaka and Gerald Coetzee in the pace bowling department.

Durban will begin their campaign against the MI Cape Town on December 26 through the curtain raiser at Newlands before their first home clash two days later against the same side at Kingsmead.

Durban Super Giants squad for 2025/26 season

Heinrich Klaasen, Jos Buttler, Noor Ahmad, Sunil Narine, Aiden Markram, Kwena Maphaka, Gerald Coetzee, Eathan Bosch, Marques Ackerman, Devon Conway, David Bedingham, Tony de Zorzi, Dayaan Galiem, Taijul Islam, Gysbert Wege, Evan Jones, David Wiese.

Incredible achievement for Bangladesh cricket. For the first time ever, a Bangladeshi cricketer is on the way to play in South Africa's own T20 franchise league, SA20. From the auction, Durban Super Giants picked Taijul Islam for the upcoming season. They secured the service of the experienced spinner for only 500,000 rand.

According to news reports from the Bangladesh media, to play in the overseas league, Taijul needs a No Objection Certificate from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). Once he receives clearance from the board, he will be free to play SA20 in South Africa. There were multiple renowned Bangladeshi cricketers who wished to try their luck in the auction, including stars like Mustafizur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, and Mahmudullah Riyad, but they were not lucky enough. According to media reports, twenty-three Bangladeshi cricketers had registered; among them, only 14 made the final shortlist, and Taijul was the only one who got a deal.

It was a surprising move for the Durban Super Giants, as the spinner so far has had the most success in Test cricket, not in limited-over formats. For Bangladesh, the 33-year-old has played 55 Test matches so far and claimed 237 wickets at an economy rate of 3.05. In only his third Test, against Zimbabwe in Mirpur, he took 8 for 39, the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in Tests.

Read More: Pakistan captain's stellar batting performance ends 22-year long wait amid Asia Cup 2025

Taijul Islam first ever Bangladeshi cricketer to confirm a contract from SA20 franchise 

Notably, the left-arm bowler took part in only 2 T20Is for Bangladesh, where he bagged only one wicket at an economy rate of 8.28. It was the year 2019 when he played his last T20 International. 

But his stats in the Bangladesh Premier League are enough to catch attention. At an exceptionally good economy rate of 7.26, he took 61 scalps in 77 innings playing for 6 different teams. 

Durban Super Giants ended the previous season of the SA20 with the wooden spoon at the bottom of the points table with two victories in 10 encounters at a net run rate of -1.272. The two wins came on the opening and the very last game of the group stage of the season against the Pretoria Capitals and the Johannesburg Super Kings, respectively, as they aim for a far better season. 

Durban came into the auction with the second-biggest purse of R29.5 million with the requirement of signing 15 players, including four overseas and two Under-23 players. Their first signing of the auction came in the form of left-arm pacer, Kwena Maphaka, for R2.30 million before making the second most expensive buy of Aiden Markram for R14 million.

See Also: [WATCH] Shubman Gill reveals dream batting partner and inside details on special birthday video

In the opening position, they got the New Zealand opening batter, Devon Conway, for R325k besides signing another player from the Johannesburg Super Kings in the form of the right-arm Protea pacer, Gerald Coetzee, for R7.40 million in an intense bidding war with the Pretoria Capitals.

SA20 2025/26: Full list of players and captain for Durban Super Giants

Durban was already incredibly strong before coming into the auction, having made the pre-signing of Jos Buttler and Sunil Narine. In the spin department, they also added Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner, Taijul Islam, perhaps as the potential replacement of the West Indies veteran. Noor Ahmed will always start in the eleven along with the wild-card of Heinrich Klassen.

Eathan Bosch will be another good player for the Super Giants as they also brought back the left-handed batter, Tony de Zorzi. In the all-rounder’s department, they got another Joburg player, David Wiese, who can play the role of the lower-order batter and provide four overs of pace.

Durban Super Giants

Retained: Noor Ahmed

Wild Card: Heinrich Klassen

Pre-signing: Sunil Narine and Jos Buttler

Auction: Kwena Maphaka (R2.3 million), Aiden Markram (R14 million), Devon Conway (R325,000), Gerald Coetzee (R7.4 million), David Bedingham (R325,000), Marques Ackermann (R200,000), Eathan Bosch (R1.75 million), Andile Simelane (R200,000), Tony de Zorzi (R200,000), Dayyaan Galiem (R200,00), Taijul Islam (R500,000), Evan Jones (R200,000), Gysbert Wege (R200,000), David Wiese (R1.3 million), Daryn Dupavillon (R200,000).

As has been the case for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) or other sides around the world, Paarl Royals struggled to show their dominance under pressure in the knockouts. They lost the first qualifier against MI Cape Town before facing the result against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape by eight wickets during the second qualifier of the event.

Paarl Royals came into the auction of the 2025/26 season’s SA20 with R14.5 million with a requirement of bagging 13 players in the squad, including five overseas and two under-23 players in the team. During the auction, they went after several players, including Wiaan Mulder and Rassie van der Dussen, but they were unable to get them in.

See Also: [WATCH] 'Could have disrespected...'- Dhanashree Verma criticizes Yuzvendra Chahal on divorce case

They got on the board with their first signing of Ottneil Baartman, who went to the Pink franchise for R5.10 million after the Sunrisers Eastern Cape decided not to use their RTM on that pacer. Their most expensive buy of the evening was Proteas’ wicket-keeper right-handed batter, Kyle Verreynne, who had a base price of R200k, which PC matched before getting an increased rate to R2.3 million.

SA20 2025/26: Full list of players and captain for Paarl Royals

Late in the evening, the Royals also got the left-arm spinner of the West Indies side, Gudakesh Motie, whose style of bowling will suit the slow and low surfaces of the Boland Park in Paarl. They already had two more spinners, as the pre-signing of Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and Afghanistan’s Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman.

Eshan Malinga will also be part of the side and could look to take responsibility for the death overs’ bowling. David Miller will be their key lower-order batter, while they can open easily with the new sensational star of the shortest format, Lhuan-dre-Pretorious.

Paarl Royals

Retained: Lhuan-dre-Pretorious, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin

Wild Card: Rubin Hermann

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

Auction: Ottneil Baartman (R5.1 million), Gudakesh Motie (R375,000), Delano Potgieter (R2.6 million), Kyle Verreynne (R2.3 million), Keagan Lion-Cachet (R950,000), Asa Tribe (R200,000), Hardus Viljoen (R200,000), Jacon Johannes Basson (R200,000), Dan Lawrence (R500,000), Eshan Malinga (R1 million), Nqobani Mokoena (R200,000), Vishen Halambage (R200,000), Nqaba Peter (R500,000). 

It was a very poor previous edition for the Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 as they ended at the penultimate position among six franchises in the points table during the previous season of the tournament. Pretoria faced just one victory in the last six encounters of the event, which came against the Johannesburg Super Kings by six wickets.

Pretoria came into the auction of SA20 for the 2025/26 season of the competition with the biggest purse of R32.5 million as they had 16 slots to fill, including four overseas slots and a couple of under-23 slots. As soon as Dewald Brevis came into the bid, they raised their paddle and nearly kept it high in the air till bagging the batter’s rights for R16.50 million.

See Also: SA20 2025/26: Full list of players and captain for MI Cape Town

Pretoria also went after the left-arm Protea pacer, Nandre Burger, but they had to back out when the Johannesburg Super Kings matched their R6.3 million price, using the RTM card. They are also scoping Keshav Maharaj, the veteran off-spinner of the side, along with Lungi Ngidi, who plays his domestic cricket in Centurion at the SuperSport Park.

SA20 2025/26: Full list of players and captain of Pretoria Capitals

Pretoria now has a strong-looking bowling attack of Codi Yousuf, Craig Overton, Lizaad Williams, and Saqib Mahmood. They had already made the wild-card entry of the experienced wild-card signing of West Indies’ Andre Russell, who will bring incredible balance in the squad along with Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford.

Late in the evening, Pretoria also had Will Smeed, which makes it a powerful batting line-up. The only issue for them could prove to be bowling on a small Centurion ground, where the ball tends to fly a lot in the shortest format. Saqib Mahmood and Craig Overton will also bring international experience into the line-up.

Pretoria Capitals

Wild Card: Andre Russell

Pre-signing: Sherfane Rutherford and Will Jacks.

Auction: Keshav Maharaj (R1.7 million), Lungi Ngidi (R2.3 million), Dewald Brevis (R16.5 million), Lizaad Williams (R2.4 million), Craig Overton (R1 million), Saqib Mahmood (R1.5 million), Codi Yusuf (R225,000), Connor Esterhuizen (R3.2 million), Bryce Parsons (R1.9 million), Gideon Peters (R400,000), Junaid Dawood (R200,000), Will Smeed (R200,000), Meeka-eel Prince (R200,000), Bayanda Majola (R200,000), Wihan Lubbe (R200,000), Sibonelo Makhanya (R200,000)

Sunrisers Eastern Cape, two successive winners of the SA20, ended as the runners-up of the tournament as they lost the final against MI Cape Town at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. They finished the group stage of the points table at the third position with the help of five victories in 10 encounters at a net run rate of -0.720. It wasn’t a great start to the campaign with three consecutive defeats.

Sunrisers came to the auction of the SA20 for the 2025/26 edition with the joint second-most purse of R21.5 million with the requirement of filling 14 slots, including four overseas and two Under-23 players. The first player of the auction for the Sunrisers came in the form of the former wicket-keeper opening batter, Quinton de Kock, for R2.40 million, as the Durban Super Giants didn’t use their RTM card.

See Also: India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 game to get suspended? Supreme Court to take final decision

SEC’s coup for bagging the expressive Protea pacer, Anrich Nortje, came at R5 million to join the forces with the left-arm pacer, Marco Jansen, in the attack. They had filled their 19 spots before getting James Coles, Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory, and JP King in the accelerated round.

 SA20 2025/26: Full list of players for Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Matthew Breetzke, who has already earned so much success for the Rainbow Nation with successive half-centuries in the 50-over format, went to the Sunrisers Eastern Cape for R6.1 million after an intense bidding war with the Pretoria Capitals and Durban Super Giants.

At the end of the auction, their assistant coach, Russell Domingo, announced Tristan Stubbs as their new leader, having lost Aiden Markram in the process. “I did get the clearance from the owners and from Adi to announce that Tristan Stubbs will be leading the Sunrisers going forward. He's a local boy, I think he loves nothing more than playing for the Sunrisers and for the Warriors back in Port Elizabeth.”

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Retained: Tristan Stubbs  

Wild Card: Marco Jansen

Pre-signing: Jonny Bairstow, Allah Ghazanfar, Adam Milne.

Auction: Quinton de Kock (R2.4 million), Matthew Breetzke (R6.1 million), Anrich Nortje (R5 million), Senuran Muthusamy (R1.5 million), Patrick Kruger (R450,000), Lutho Sipamla (R600,000), Mitchell van Buuren (R200,000), Jordan Hermann (R1.5 million), Beyers Swanepoel (R200,000), James Coles (R1 million), Chris Wood (R500,000), Lewis Gregory (R1 million), CJ King (R200,000), JP King (R200,000)

Under the leadership of Rashid Khan, the MI Cape Town went through a dream campaign during the 2024/25 season of the SA20. They finished the group stage of the points table at the top of the ladder with seven victories in 10 games at the net run rate of +2.446. After winning the first qualifier against Paarl Royals, they got the better of Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the final to lift the title.

Mumbai Indians’ franchise came to the fourth season’s auction with the lowest purse of R11.5 million as they still had 12 slots to fill, including four overseas and a couple of Under-23 slots. There was incredible silence on their table for the first 10 players before they raised their paddles for the first time for Rassie van der Dussen.

See Also: How to watch Asia Cup 2025 for free on mobile?

Cape Town had a bidding war with Johannesburg Super Kings for the opening batter; they doubled the batter’s price of R1 million. Paarl Royals joined the party and increased the rate before finally Cape Town got their opening batter back for a price of R5.2 million, which was half of their purse.

SA20 2025/26: Full list of players for MI Cape Town

They also got back another opening batting option. Reeza Hendricks for a steal price of R500k and held on to Dane Piedt and Tristan Luss for a squad that resembles their previous editions. They perhaps are obvious to open with Ryan Rickelton, their wicket-keeper, while using George Linde and Corbin Bosch in the all-rounder’s position.

One of the huge signings for Cape Town in the auction was South Africa’s left-arm wrist spinner, Tabraiz Shamsi, who has been in tremendous form in recent times during the CPL 2025, while they also signed Dwaine Pretorius for a price of R650k.

MI Cape Town

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

Wild Card: Kagiso Rabada

Pre-signing: Nicholas Pooran

Auction: Rassie van der Dussen (R5.2 million), Reeza Hendricks (R500,000), Dwaine Pretorius (R650,000), Tristan Luus (R650,000), Jason Smith (R500,000), Tom Moores (R200,000), Dane Piedt (R200,000), Tian van Vuuren (R1 million), Dan Lategan (R400,000), Tabraiz Shamsi (R500,000), Karim Janat (R1 million), Jacques Snyman (R200,000).

Johannesburg Super Kings, under the leadership of Faf du Plessis, finished in the fourth position in the points table of the 2024/25 season of the SA20 as they earned four victories in 10 encounters at a net run rate of -0.330. They lost the eliminator against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape at the SuperSport Park in Centurion by 32 runs to be eliminated from the event. 

Super Kings came into the auction with R21.5 million (INR 10.72 crore) as they had 14 slots remaining to get ahead of the new season, among which they had four overseas and two Under-23 slots available. They started the opening bidding for the upcoming right-handed superstar batter, Dewald Brevis, and stretched it to R16 million before backing out.

See Also: [WATCH] Rohit Sharma joins Jasprit Bumrah in funny advertisement shoot as video goes viral

Super Kings’ first successfully signed player of the evening was the international all-rounder, Wiaan Mulder, who was sold to the Wanderers side for R9 million as Durban Super Giants decided to go against exercising their RTM.

SA20 2025/26: Full list of players for Johannesburg Super Kings 

The left-arm fast bowler of the side, Nandre Burger, was up for R2 million as there was an intense bidding between Johannesburg and Pretoria Capitals. But Durban made their presence in the bidding and bagged the pacer for R6.1 million. JSK used the right to match card to retain their pace bowler for R6.3 million. Late in the evening, they also got back their veteran leg spinner, Imran Tahir, but had to leave out Gerald Coetzee and David Wiese.

They lost the services of Jonny Bairstow from the previous season, which pushed them to buy Brandon King and Rilee Rossouw as the two opening options with pre-signed James Vince. Reece Tropley could perhaps be the replacement for Burger if the latter picks up an injury. Donovan Ferreira is already part of the wild-card entry.

Johannesburg Super Kings

Retained: Faf du Plessis

Wild Card: Donovan Ferreira

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

Auction: Wiaan Mulder (R9 million), Nandre Burger (R6.3 million), Prenalen Subrayen (R1 million), Dian Forrester (R200,000), Steve Stolk (R200,000), Janco Smit (R200,000), Neil Timmers (R200,000), Shubham Ranjane (R200,000), Brandon King (R200,000), Rilee Rossouw (R500,000), Rivaldo Moonsamy (R400,000), Imran Tahir (R600,000), Reece Topley (R600,000).

South African sensation Dewald Brevis captured the headlines as he became the highest-paid cricketer in the history of SA20. After an intense bidding war, the 22-year-old batter joined Pretoria Capitals for a whopping amount of R 16.5 million (Rs 8.3 Cr). 

On September 9, Tuesday, the auction for the SA20 2025-26 was arranged. As it was expected, multiple game names from Team South Africa fetched some really lucrative deal amounts. But as soon as the auctioneer shouted for the turn of Brevis, franchise officials buckled themselves up for a thriller. Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals expressed their interest in the emerging batter. To secure his sign, both of the franchises engaged in an intense bidding war. Finally, Pretoria Capitals got to win the bid. 

Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, head coach of the Pretoria Capitals, expressed joy after confirming the service of Dewald Brevis. He praised the young batter for making a positive impression over the last one and a half years.

Read More: Report drops potential dates and venues for T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka

"We’re very happy; I think he's a very good player. Obviously, 16.5 million is the other side of the way of looking at it, but just in terms of quality on our pitch, our ground, Pretoria, I hope he does well. We haven't thought so far yet (on making him captain in the future). He's a tremendous talent; his game has really gone forward in the last 1 and a half years, as you saw against Australia in Australia recently," Ganguly said. 

Stunning hundred against Australia 

"He's a game changer, and that's what you need in T20 cricket. We have Russell Rutherford, who can actually really steam it up. I hope he does well. I never relate performance to money, leaving aside the 16.5 million, and I think he's a great talent. He plays spin well, which is very important, and looking at everything."

Brevis was in stunning form during the T20I series against Australia. He scored a blistering 125-run innings in Darwin. The 22-year-old carried his form against the England series as well. 

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.