The SA20 League player auction for the 2025-26 season was held on September 9, 2025, in Johannesburg. Six franchises built their squads with a mix of retained players, pre-signed internationals, wildcards, and new auction signings. The tournament will begin on December 26, 2025.
This year’s auction was historic, featuring record-breaking signings, surprise unsold stars, and exciting young talent ready to light up South African cricket.
Key Highlights from the Auction
- Dewald Brevis set a new SA20 record as the most expensive player, with Pretoria Capitals signing the young batting star for R16.5 million.
- Aiden Markram was signed by Durban Super Giants for R14 million, highlighting his worth as a key top-order batter and captaincy option.
- Well-known names like Temba Bavuma, Jason Roy, James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Shakib Al Hasan surprisingly went unsold.
- Teams strategically balanced experienced international players with rising South African stars, giving the squads a mix of flair and stability.
Full Squads for SA20 2025-26
Joburg Super Kings
- Retained: Faf du Plessis
- Wild Card: Donovan Ferreira
- Pre-Signed: James Vince, Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson
- Players bought at the auction: Wiaan Mulder, Nandre Burger, Prenelan Subrayen, Dian Forrester, Steve Stolk, Janco Smit, Neil Timmers, Shubham Ranjane, Brandon King, Rilee Rossouw, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Imran Tahir, and Reece Topley.
MI Cape Town
- Retained: Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch
- Wild Card: Kagiso Rabada
- Pre-Signed: Nicholas Pooran
- Players bought at the auction: Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Tristan Luus, Jason Smith, Tom Moores, Dane Piedt, Tiaan van Vuuren, Dan Lategan, Tabraiz Shamsi, Karim Janat, Jacques Snyman
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
- Retained: Tristan Stubbs
- Wild Card: Marco Jansen
- Pre-Signed: Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne
- Players bought at the auction: Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, Anrich Nortje, Senuran Muthusamy, Patrick Kruger, Lutho Sipamla, Mitchell van Buuren, Jordan Hermann, Beyers Swanepoel, James Coles, Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory, CJ King, JP King
Pretoria Capitals
- Retained: Will Jacks
- Wild Card: Andre Russell
- Pre-Signed: Sherfane Rutherford
- Players bought at the auction: Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Dewald Brevis, Lizaad Williams, Craig Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Codi Yusuf, Connor Esterhuizen, Bryce Parsons, Gideon Peters, Junaid Dawood, Will Smeed, Meeka-eel Prince, Bayanda Majola, Wihan Lubbe, Sibonelo Makhanya
Paarl Royals
- Retained: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin
- Wild Card: Rubin Hermann
- Pre-Signed: Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
- Players bought at the auction: Ottneil Baartman, Gudakesh Motie, Delano Potgieter, Kyle Verreynne, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Asa Tribe, Hardus Viljoen, Jacob Johannes Basson, Dan Lawrence, Eshan Malinga, Nqobani Mokoena, Vishen Halambage, Nqaba Peter
Durban Super Giants
- Retained: Noor Ahmad
- Wild Card: Heinrich Klaasen
- Pre-Signed: Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler
- Players bought at the auction: Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Bedingham, Marques Ackermann, Eathan Bosch, Andile Simelane, Tony de Zorzi, Dayyaan Galiem, Evan Jones, Gysbert Wege, David Wiese, Daryn Dupavillon, Taijul Islam
What to Expect This Season
The SA20 is steadily rising as one of the top T20 leagues in the world. This season will feature:
- Explosive young talent like Brevis, Kwena Maphaka, and Tristan Stubbs.
- Includes International stars such as Andre Russell, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, and Sunil Narine.
- A competitive mix of batting depth and bowling firepower across all teams.
Conclusion
The record-breaking bids reflect the rising value of South African cricket talent. With franchises investing heavily in both local and international players, fans can expect high-quality action starting this December.
Written by Kinjal Walantra
