The SA20 2026 Player Auction turned out to be a record-shattering event in Johannesburg on September 9, 2025, as Dewald Brevis smashed all previous records to become the most expensive player in the league’s history. With 541 players shortlisted and only 84 slots available, this was one of the most competitive and strategic SA20 auctions ever.
Here’s your complete guide with updated details, results, and what lies ahead for SA20 2026.
SA20 Auction 2026 Date & Tournament Timeline
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Player Auction | 9 September 2025 |
| Tournament Start | 26 December 2025 |
| Tournament End | 26 January 2026 |
Players & Auction Pool
- Total Players Registered: 800+
- Shortlisted Players: 541
- South Africans: 300
- Overseas: 241
- U-23 SA Players: 133
- Total Slots to Fill: 84
- South African Slots: 59
- Overseas Slots: 25
Salary Cap & Team Purse
- Salary Cap per Team: R41 million (approx. USD 2.31M)
- Highest Purse (Start of Auction): Pretoria Capitals – R32.5M
- Lowest Purse: MI Cape Town – R11.5M
Latest Purse Updates (Post Round 3)
| Team | Purse Remaining |
|---|---|
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R5.45M |
| MI Cape Town | R4.5M |
| Paarl Royals | R4.13M |
| Joburg Super Kings | R3.7M |
| Pretoria Capitals | R3.68M |
| Durban Super Giants | R3M |
Squad Composition Rules (2026)
- Total Squad Size: 19 players
- Regular Squad: 18
- Wildcard Player: 1 (outside salary cap)
- Max Overseas Players: 7
- Min South African Players: 11
- Min U-23 SA Players: 2
Confirmed Wildcard Picks
| Team | Wildcard Player |
|---|---|
| Durban Super Giants | Heinrich Klaasen |
| Joburg Super Kings | Donovan Ferreira |
| MI Cape Town | Kagiso Rabada |
| Paarl Royals | Rubin Hermann |
| Pretoria Capitals | Andre Russell |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Marco Jansen |
What’s New in SA20 2026?
Right To Match (RTM) Card
- Teams could re-sign a previously owned player by matching the final bid.
- Notable RTM moments:
- Durban tried to RTM Prenelan Subrayen, but Joburg signed him for R1M.
- Pretoria used RTM for Senuran Muthusamy, but Sunrisers raised bid to R1.5M.
SA20 2026 Auction – Sold Players (as of September 9, 2025)
| Player | Team | Price (ZAR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewald Brevis | Pretoria Capitals | R 16.5 M | $943,000 |
| Aiden Markram | Durban’s Super Giants | R 14 M | $800,000 |
| Devon Conway | Durban’s Super Giants | R 3.25 M | $185,000 |
| Kwena Maphaka | Durban’s Super Giants | R 2.3 M | $131,000 |
| Anrich Nortje | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 5 M | $285,000 |
| Quinton de Kock | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 2.4 M | $137,000 |
| Matthew Breetzke | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 6.1 M | $348,000 |
| Senuran Muthusamy | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 1.5 M | $85,500 |
| Nandre Burger (RTM) | Joburg Super Kings | R 6.3 M | $359,000 |
| Wiaan Mulder | Joburg Super Kings | R 9 M | $513,000 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | MI Cape Town | R 5.2 M | $296,000 |
| Kyle Verreynne | Paarl Royals | R 2.3 M | $131,000 |
| Connor Esterhuizen | Pretoria Capitals | R 3.2 M | $182,000 |
| Codi Yusuf | Pretoria Capitals | R 225 K | $12,800 |
| Tristan Luus | MI Cape Town | R 650 K | $37,000 |
| Lutho Sipamla | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 600 K | $34,000 |
| Craig Overton | Pretoria Capitals | R 1 M | $57,000 |
| Daniel Worrall | Joburg Super Kings | R 1.5 M | $85,500 |
| Andile Simelane | Durban’s Super Giants | R 200 K | $11,400 |
| Delano Potgieter | Paarl Royals | R 2.6 M | $148,000 |
| Dwayne Pretorius | MI Cape Town | R 550 K | $31,000 |
| Eathan Bosch | Durban’s Super Giants | R 1.75 M | $99,700 |
| Reeza Hendricks | MI Cape Town | R 500 K | $28,500 |
| Marques Ackerman | Durban’s Super Giants | R 200 K | $11,400 |
Big Names Who Went Unsold in SA20 Auction
- Tabraiz Shamsi
- Imran Tahir
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Maheesh Theekshana
- Mustafizur Rahman
- Brandon King
- Kusal Perera
- Jordan Cox
- Rilee Rossouw
Overseas Players in Focus
Notable foreign players in the auction pool included:
| Country | Players |
|---|---|
| England | James Anderson, Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, James Vince, Dan Lawrence |
| West Indies | Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein |
| Bangladesh | Shakib Al Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman |
| Sri Lanka | Kusal Perera, Maheesh Theekshana |
| Afghanistan | Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmad, Waqar Salamkheil |
| Australia | D’Arcy Short |
| Pakistan | Not featured |
| India | None shortlisted |
James Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Shakib Al Hasan remained unsold.
Why No Indian Players?
Although 13 retired Indian players registered, none made the final shortlist.
This is due to BCCI’s restrictions on Indian players participating in foreign leagues, even post-retirement.
Notable Indian registrants included:
- Piyush Chawla
- Ravichandran Ashwin (opted for ILT20)
- Siddharth Kaul
- Ankit Rajpoot
Strategic Takeaways
- Teams went big for explosive batters and fast bowlers.
- Pretoria Capitals rebuilt aggressively with Brevis, Esterhuizen, Mahmood, and Overton.
- Durban made massive investments in Markram and Coetzee.
- MI Cape Town showed faith in experience, picking Rassie and Hendricks.
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape picked a balanced side with key signings like Nortje, de Kock, and Breetzke.
What to Expect from SA20 2026
With a highly strategic auction, introduction of RTMs, and a rich blend of youth and experience, the SA20 2026 season promises:
- Fierce competition among franchises
- Spotlight on U-23 SA talent
- A step up in franchise tactics and auction dynamics
- Another boost to South Africa’s growing T20 league
SA20 2026 kicks off December 26 – mark your calendars!
