SA20 2026: At least 72 player slots up for grabs in auction

All the big names and rising stars set to headline Season 4 of SA20 will be confirmed at the fourth annual player auction taking place in Johannesburg on Tuesday, September 9.

The year’s event promises to bring a few changes amongst the squads, and high-stakes bidding with a minimum of 72 player slots available for auction. The squad composition of the teams remains the same, with the League continuing to prioritise opportunity for local talent on a global platform. Of the 18 players in the regular squad, teams can secure a maximum of seven overseas players, a minimum of 11 South African players.

Season 4 will again see teams being able to sign one Wildcard player to each squad. The Wildcard player can be a South African or overseas player, and their League fee falls outside of the salary cap. Prior to the auction, the franchises are permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players comprising of a maximum of three overseas players and three South African players. This year features the largest salary cap in the history of the competition, a sizeable USD 2.3 million in the purse for each of the six franchises to make up their squads. The salary cap has steadily increased over the years from the USD 1.9 million in season 1, making it the highest franchise T20 League salary cap outside of India.

In a SA20 first, a significant strategic innovation has been added to the Season 4 auction with the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) Cards. A Right to Match Card allows a franchise the opportunity to match a winning auction bid on a player who played for that team in Season 3 and retain his services for Season 4. Each team will have a limited number of RTM cards to use, depending on the number of South African pre-auction player retentions they use.

Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, SA20 said, “The SA20 Season 4 Player Auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for Franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years and the upcoming auction should see plenty more.”

The League’s commitment to the development of young talent in South Africa remains steadfast. There will no longer be a Rookie Draft, instead, teams must sign a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19 player squads.

The ever-popular Richard Madley, who has fast become synonymous with the SA20 auction, will once again wield his gavel to control proceedings. The auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube Channel with rolling coverage across all the League’s social media platforms.

The auction marks the first major milestone ahead of the anticipated fourth season, which, this year, will be played in a ‘festive season’ slot starting on 26 December 2025.