Cricket fans, clear your calendars. September 9 isn’t just another Monday – it’s auction day for the SA20 2026, and things are about to get serious in South Africa’s premier T20 league. With a massive pool of 549 players, only 84 will make the final squads and as the cricket world watches closely, legends like James Anderson and Shakib Al Hasan are set to go under the hammer.
But before you compare it to the IPL auction frenzy, hit pause. Because the SA20 auction works differently, and if you’re tuning in, here’s everything you need to know – including a few surprising twists.
Squad Building: Precision Over Power
Each SA20 franchise is allowed a 19-member squad, with a cap of 7 overseas players. In an effort to keep things balanced and competitive, retention and pre-signings are capped too: just 6 per team, including a maximum of 3 South Africans and 3 foreigners. These don’t include something uniquely SA20 – the Wildcard Player.
What’s a Wildcard Player?
This is where the auction gets intriguing. Every team can name one player – South African or overseas – whose salary doesn’t count towards the auction purse. Think of it as a free hit.
The deadline to name wildcards was set for December 21, 2025, but teams aren’t waiting. Here’s who they’ve already locked in:
- Heinrich Klaasen (Durban’s Super Giants)
- Donovan Ferreira (Joburg Super Kings)
- Kagiso Rabada (MI Cape Town)
- Rubin Hermann (Paarl Royals)
- Andre Russell (Pretoria Capitals)
- Marco Jansen (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
A quick look at that list and you’ll see: these aren’t fringe players. The wildcard rule is turning into a strategic goldmine for franchises.
Also Read: Mohammed Siraj Earns ICC Player Of The Month Nomination After Stellar England Series
No More Rookie Draft – But Youth Still Matters
In a shift from previous seasons, CSA has scrapped the Rookie Draft. But the focus on youth remains: each squad must include at least two Under-23 players. This pushes teams to dig deeper into the domestic pipeline and could lead to some breakout stories.
Enter: The RTM Card
After the IPL reintroduced the Right to Match (RTM), the SA20 has followed suit. Each team will now have one RTM card, giving them the right to buy back a player they previously lost in the auction by matching the final bid.
This could be crucial in high-stakes bidding wars, especially for in-form local players or international stars who slip past retention.
The Purse and the Pressure
Each team gets R 41 million (roughly Rs 20.55 crore) to fill their remaining slots. And with only 25 overseas slots available across all teams – compared to 59 for South Africans – the competition for international players will be tight.
| Team | Purse Remaining (ZAR) | Purse Remaining (INR) | Slots Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | R 29.50 million | Rs 14.79 crore | 15 |
| Joburg Super Kings | R 21.50 million | Rs 10.78 crore | 14 |
| MI Cape Town | R 11.50 million | Rs 5.76 crore | 12 |
| Paarl Royals | R 14.50 million | Rs 7.27 crore | 13 |
| Pretoria Capitals | R 32.50 million | Rs 16.30 crore | 16 |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R 21.50 million | Rs 10.78 crore | 14 |
Where Teams Stand Before the Auction
Let’s quickly glance at how the teams are shaping up:
Durban’s Super Giants
- Retained: Noor Ahmad
- Pre-signed: Jos Buttler, Sunil Narine
- Wildcard: Heinrich Klaasen
Joburg Super Kings
- Retained: Faf du Plessis
- Pre-signed: Richard Gleeson, Akeal Hosein, James Vince
- Wildcard: Donovan Ferreira
MI Cape Town
- Retained: Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, George Linde, Ryan Rickelton
- Pre-signed: Nicholas Pooran
- Wildcard: Kagiso Rabada
Paarl Royals
- Retained: Bjorn Fortuin, David Miller, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Pre-signed: Sikandar Raza
- Wildcard: Rubin Hermann
Pretoria Capitals
- Retained: Will Jacks
- Pre-signed: Sherfane Rutherford
- Wildcard: Andre Russell
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
- Retained: Tristan Stubbs
- Pre-signed: Jonny Bairstow, Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Adam Milne
- Wildcard: Marco Jansen
Each squad already has a strategic core – some leaning on experience, others banking on explosiveness.
So, What Makes the SA20 2026 Auction Worth Watching?
- Will franchises use their RTM cards for last-minute steals?
- Can an uncapped Under-23 star become the talk of the auction?
- Which overseas player will spark a bidding war – Anderson, Shakib, or someone off the radar?
With its unique blend of IPL-style structure and South African innovation, the SA20 2026 auction promises drama, deals, and surprises – the kind cricket fans live for.
And for the 465 players who won’t make the cut? There’s always next year but for the lucky 84, a golden ticket awaits.
