The SA20 2026 auction, held on September 9 in Johannesburg, brought plenty of excitement for cricket fans. Teams went all out to strengthen their squads, with record-breaking bids, surprising unsold players, and some smart strategies in play.
Big names like Dewald Brevis and Aiden Markram made headlines with massive price tags, while other players went unsold, showing just how competitive the auction was. With new rules, bigger budgets, and the Right to Match (RTM) system, the 2026 auction set the stage for an exciting season ahead.
In this article, we’ll take a look at all the auction highlights, top buys, wildcard picks, and notable unsold players.
SA20 2026 Auction Highlights (September 9, 2025)
The SA20 2026 auction was full of excitement. Some players went for record prices, while a few big names surprisingly went unsold. Teams used the bigger budget and new rules to build stronger squads.
Here are the main highlights from the auction:
Top Sold Players
| Player | Team | Price (R) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dewald Brevis | Pretoria Capitals | 16.5 million | $943,000 |
| Aiden Markram | Durban’s Super Giants | 14 million | $798,000 |
| Wiaan Mulder | Joburg Super Kings | 9 million | $513,000 |
| Gerald Coetzee | Durban’s Super Giants | 7.4 million | $422,000 |
| Nandre Burger | Joburg Super Kings | 6.3 million | $359,000 |
| Matthew Breetzke | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | 6.1 million | $348,000 |
| Rassie van der Dussen | MI Cape Town | 5.2 million | $296,000 |
| Ottneil Baartman | Paarl Royals | 5.1 million | $291,000 |
Wildcard Picks (Not Counted Under Salary Cap)
| Team | Player |
|---|---|
| Pretoria Capitals | Andre Russell |
| Durban’s Super Giants | Heinrich Klaasen |
| Joburg Super Kings | Donovan Ferreira |
| MI Cape Town | Kagiso Rabada |
| Paarl Royals | Rubin Hermann |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Marco Jansen |
Notable Unsold Players
- Temba Bavuma: The South Africa Test and ODI captain went unsold.
- James Anderson: The veteran England pacer found no bidders.
- Shakib Al Hasan: The Bangladesh all-rounder was also unsold.
- Jason Roy: The England batter went unsold.
Squads After SA20 Auction
Here are the complete SA20 2026 squads, showing all auction picks with their prices. Retained, pre-signed, and wildcard players are listed below each table for clarity.
MI Cape Town
| Player | Price (R) |
|---|---|
| Rassie van der Dussen | 5.2 million |
| Tian van Vuuren | 1 million |
| Karim Janat | 1 million |
| Dwaine Pretorius | 650,000 |
| Tristan Luus | 650,000 |
| Reeza Hendricks | 500,000 |
| Jason Smith | 500,000 |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | 500,000 |
| Dan Lategan | 400,000 |
| Tom Moores | 200,000 |
| Dane Piedt | 200,000 |
| Jacques Snyman | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada (Wildcard)
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
| Player | Price (R) |
|---|---|
| Matthew Breetzke | 6.1 million |
| Anrich Nortje | 5 million |
| Quinton de Kock | 2.4 million |
| Senuran Muthusamy | 1.5 million |
| Jordan Hermann | 1.5 million |
| James Coles | 1 million |
| Lewis Gregory | 1 million |
| Lutho Sipamla | 600,000 |
| Chris Wood | 500,000 |
| Patrick Kruger | 450,000 |
| Mitchell van Buuren | 200,000 |
| Beyers Swanepoel | 200,000 |
| Christopher King | 200,000 |
| JP King | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
Tristan Stubbs, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne, Jonny Bairstow, Marco Jansen (Wildcard)
Joburg Super Kings
| Player | Price (R) |
|---|---|
| Wiaan Mulder | 9 million |
| Nandre Burger | 6.3 million |
| Prenalen Subrayen | 1 million |
| Imran Tahir | 600,000 |
| Reece Topley | 600,000 |
| Rilee Rossouw | 500,000 |
| Rivaldo Moonsamy | 400,000 |
| Dian Forrester | 200,000 |
| Steve Stolk | 200,000 |
| Janco Smit | 200,000 |
| Neil Timmers | 200,000 |
| Shubham Ranjane | 200,000 |
| Brandon King | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
Faf du Plessis, James Vince, Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson, Donovan Ferreira (Wildcard)
Paarl Royals
| Player | Price (R) |
|---|---|
| Ottneil Baartman | 5.1 million |
| Delano Potgieter | 2.6 million |
| Kyle Verreynne | 2.3 million |
| Eshan Malinga | 1 million |
| Keagan Lion Cachet | 950,000 |
| Dan Lawrence | 500,000 |
| Nqabayomzi Peter | 500,000 |
| Gudakesh Motie | 375,000 |
| Asa Tribe | 200,000 |
| Hardus Viljoen | 200,000 |
| Jacob Johannes Basson | 200,000 |
| Nqobani Mokoena | 200,000 |
| Vishen Halambage | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
David Miller, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann (Wildcard), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Sikandar Raza
Pretoria Capitals
| Player | Price (R) |
|---|---|
| Dewald Brevis | 16.5 million |
| Connor Esterhuizen | 3.2 million |
| Lizaad Williams | 2.4 million |
| Lungi Ngidi | 2.3 million |
| Bryce Parsons | 1.9 million |
| Keshav Maharaj | 1.7 million |
| Saqib Mahmood | 1.5 million |
| Craig Overton | 1 million |
| Gideon Peters | 400,000 |
| Codi Yusuf | 225,000 |
| Junaid Dawood | 200,000 |
| Will Smeed | 200,000 |
| Meeka eel Prince | 200,000 |
| Bayanda Majola | 200,000 |
| Wihan Lubbe | 200,000 |
| Sibonelo Makhanya | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell (Wildcard)
Durban Super Giants
| Player | Price |
|---|---|
| Aiden Markram | 14 million |
| Gerald Coetzee | 7.4 million |
| Kwena Maphaka | 2.3 million |
| Eathan Bosch | 1.75 million |
| David Wiese | 1.3 million |
| Taijul Islam | 500,000 |
| Devon Conway | 325,000 |
| David Bedingham | 325,000 |
| Marques Ackermann | 200,000 |
| Andile Simelane | 200,000 |
| Tony de Zorzi | 200,000 |
| Dayyaan Galiem | 200,000 |
| Evan Jones | 200,000 |
| Gysbert Wege | 200,000 |
| Daryn Dupavillon | 200,000 |
Retained / Pre-signed / Wildcard Players
Heinrich Klaasen (Wildcard), Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler, Noor Ahmad
New Rules And Regulations for SA20 2026
The SA20 organizers have introduced several exciting changes for the 2026 season. These new rules aim to create a more competitive balance while giving teams greater flexibility in building their squads.
Let’s break down the most important changes that will impact how teams approach this auction.
1. Player Retention Guidelines
Teams have more flexibility this year when it comes to keeping their star players. Each franchise can retain up to six players before the auction begins. However, there’s a catch – they cannot keep more than three overseas players and must maintain a balance with local talent.
This retention policy provides teams with the opportunity to maintain continuity while still allowing for significant squad changes. Many franchises are expected to hold onto their key performers from previous seasons, creating a foundation around which they can build new strategies.
2. Right to Match Cards
The biggest news for SA20 2026 is the introduction of Right to Match (RTM) cards. This exciting feature allows teams to get back a player during the auction by matching the highest bid. The number of RTM cards each team receives depends on how many South African players they choose to retain beforehand.
3. Squad Structure Rules
Building a balanced team remains crucial in SA20. Final squads must comprise exactly 19 players, with a maximum of 7 overseas players and a minimum of 11 South Africans. This ensures local talent gets proper representation while maintaining the league’s international appeal.
4. Focus on Young Talent
The league continues to prioritize developing future stars. Every team must include at least two players under the age of 23 in their final squad. This rule helps nurture young cricketers and gives them valuable exposure to high-level competition.
Young players often bring fresh energy and fearless cricket to the tournament. Previous seasons have shown how quickly emerging talents can make their mark on the SA20 stage, sometimes becoming household names overnight.
5. Wildcard Player Option
Here’s something interesting – each franchise can sign one wildcard player whose fee won’t count toward the salary cap. This gives teams extra room to bring in that special player who could make all the difference.
6. No More Rookie Draft
Unlike previous seasons, the rookie draft system has been removed for 2026. This change streamlines the player selection process, allowing teams to have more direct control over their squad building.
The removal of the rookie draft means all young talent will now go through the primary auction process. This could lead to more competitive bidding for promising youngsters, potentially driving up their market value significantly.
Players Retained by Each Franchise
Here are the retained, wild card and pre-signed players of each franchise.
MI Cape Town
- Retained: Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Ryan Rickleton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch
- Wild Card: Kagiso Rabada
- Pre-signing: Nicholas Pooran
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
- Pre-signing: Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne
- Retained: Tristan Stubbs
- Wild Card: Marco Jansen
Note: Aiden Markram has opted to head to the auction instead of being retained.
Johannesburg Super Kings
- Retained: Faf du Plessis
- Wild Card: Donovan Ferreira
- Pre-signing: James Vince, Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson
Pretoria Capitals
- Pre-signing: Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford
- Wild Card: Andre Russell
Paarl Royals
- Retentions: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin
- Pre-signing: Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
- Wild Card: Rubin Hermann
Durban’s Super Giants
- Pre-signing: Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler
- Retained: Noor Ahmed
- Wild Card: Heinrich Klaasen
How Will the New Rules Impact SA20 2026?
With at least 72 player slots available across all six franchises, we can expect plenty of movement and surprises. The increased budget and new RTM system mean teams will be more strategic than ever before.
Fans can look forward to seeing their favorite players potentially switching teams, while new faces emerge to capture their imagination. The auction drama itself has become almost as entertaining as the cricket that follows.
The participating teams – Durban’s Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape – are all preparing for what could be the most competitive auction yet. Each franchise will be looking to address specific weaknesses while building on its existing strengths.
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Conclusion: A Game-Changing SA20 2026 Auction
The SA20 2026 auction was more than just a player selection event – it was a turning point for South African cricket. With big bids, new rules, and the Right to Match (RTM) system, teams strengthened their squads like never before.
Record signings like Dewald Brevis and Aiden Markram grabbed the headlines, while surprise unsold players showed how competitive the auction was. Each franchise now has a balanced mix of top stars, young talent, and wildcard picks ready for action.
The tournament will run from December 26 to January 26, making it a perfect cricketing holiday treat for fans. With teams finalized and excitement at an all-time high, SA20 2026 promises bigger battles, thrilling matches, and unforgettable moments.
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