Betway SA20 has confirmed the list of pre-signed and retained players for Season 4, setting the stage for a highly anticipated player auction on 9 September in Johannesburg. With a total purse of R131 million and 84 available slots, the six franchises have taken early strategic steps to lock in talent.
Each team was allowed up to six pre-signed or retained players during the player retention window, which closed on 18 July. This included a maximum of three South African and three overseas players. Additionally, each team has announced one Wildcard signing — which could be an overseas player or a local player from Season 3.
Season 4 squad compositions and available purses
Here is the breakdown of confirmed signings and remaining purses:
Durban’s Super Giants (R29.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Sunil Narine*, Noor Ahmad*, Jos Buttler*
- Wildcard: Heinrich Klaasen
Joburg Super Kings (R21.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Faf du Plessis, James Vince*, Akeal Hosein*, Richard Gleeson*
- Wildcard: Donovan Ferreira
MI Cape Town (R11.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan*, Trent Boult*, Nicholas Pooran*
- Wildcard: Kagiso Rabada
Paarl Royals (R14.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Sikandar Raza*
- Wildcard: Rubin Hermann
Pretoria Capitals (R32.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Will Jacks*, Sherfane Rutherford*
- Wildcard: Andre Russell*
Sunrisers Eastern Cape (R21.5 million remaining)
- Retained/Pre-signed: Tristan Stubbs, Allah Ghazanfar*, Adam Milne*, Jonny Bairstow*
- Wildcard: Marco Jansen
*Indicates overseas players
Top local names up for grabs in the auction
Several high-profile South African cricketers will be available at the auction, including:
- Aiden Markram
- Lungi Ngidi
- Wiaan Mulder
- Keshav Maharaj
- Dewald Brevis
- Kwena Maphaka
- Quinton de Kock
- Anrich Nortje
- Tabraiz Shamsi
Graeme Smith: “Exactly where we envisioned being”
League Commissioner Graeme Smith said the retention and Wildcard process reflects a strategic shift:
“When the League first drafted its regulations in Season 1, we always saw this forthcoming season as an opportunity for a strategic reset — and this is exactly where we envisioned being.”
“There’s now a strong balance between pre-signed and retained international and Proteas players, alongside a significant purse available for the auction,” he added. “After three seasons, the franchises have developed a good understanding of the South African cricket ecosystem and adopted a distinct strategy which sets the stage for the most exciting auction yet.”
Franchise strategies going into Season 4
Durban’s Super Giants have invested heavily in their overseas trio of Narine, Buttler, and Ahmad while securing Heinrich Klaasen as Wildcard. They head into the auction with the second-largest purse.
Joburg Super Kings have opted for experience, retaining captain Faf du Plessis and adding English talent. They will have R21.5 million to fill out their roster.
MI Cape Town, the defending champions, have used their full retention capacity, bringing in Nicholas Pooran and maintaining squad stability around Rashid Khan and Trent Boult.
Paarl Royals are continuing their youth-focused strategy, keeping teenage star Lhuan-dre Pretorius and signing Sikandar Raza — the first Zimbabwean player to appear in the SA20.
Pretoria Capitals have saved the highest purse (R32.5 million) for the auction and made a marquee Wildcard signing in Andre Russell.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape will field an exciting mix of youth and experience, with 18-year-old spinner Allah Ghazanfar joining MVP Marco Jansen and Tristan Stubbs.
How to follow the Season 4 Auction
The Betway SA20 Season 4 Auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport (Sub-Saharan Africa) and JioHotstar (India), with rolling updates on all Betway SA20 social media platforms.
