With a staggering R131 million (US$7.37 million) available across six teams, the Betway SA20 Season 4 Player Auction is set to reshape the landscape of South African franchise cricket when it takes place on 9 September in Johannesburg.
All six SA20 franchises have completed their pre-signings, retentions, and wildcard acquisitions, and will now enter the auction with their remaining budgets to fill a total of 84 open player slots.
Who will be SA cricket’s next millionaire?
The big question heading into the auction is: Who will be South Africa’s next T20 millionaire? With record purses available, the stakes are higher than ever.
Pretoria Capitals enter the auction with the largest remaining purse of R32.5 million (US$1.86 million). The Capitals have also made headlines by appointing Sourav Ganguly as head coach, with Shaun Pollock joining as assistant coach. The team is poised to undergo a transformation in both playing personnel and culture.
Durban’s Super Giants have the next biggest budget at R29.5 million (US$1.66 million). They retain a settled coaching setup with Lance Klusener and Allan Donald returning, and a strong core squad including Jos Buttler, Sunil Narine, Heinrich Klaasen, and Noor Ahmad.
Franchise strategies and key players
- Joburg Super Kings – R21.5M (US$1.2M) remaining. Led by Faf du Plessis, with support from James Vince, Richard Gleeson, Akeal Hosein, and Donovan Ferreira.
- Sunrisers Eastern Cape – R21.5M (US$1.2M) remaining. Notable pre-signings include Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Jonny Bairstow, Adam Milne, and Allah Ghazanfar.
- Paarl Royals – R14.5M (US$0.819M) remaining. Focused on youth with Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Sikandar Raza, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their lineup.
- MI Cape Town – R11.5M (US$0.65M) remaining. Reinforced their core squad led by Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, and Nicholas Pooran.
New regulations: Under-23 player mandate
In a major update to auction strategy, each franchise is now required to select a minimum of two Under-23 players as part of their 19-player squads. This replaces the Rookie Draft format from previous years and aims to fast-track young domestic talent into the professional setup.
Franchise auction overview: Budget and slots remaining
| Team | Remaining Purse | Player Slots | Overseas Slots | Wildcard Slots | U23 Slots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | R29.5M (US$1.66M) | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Joburg Super Kings | R21.5M (US$1.2M) | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| MI Cape Town | R11.5M (US$0.65M) | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Paarl Royals | R14.5M (US$0.819M) | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Pretoria Capitals | R32.5M (US$1.86M) | 16 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | R21.5M (US$1.2M) | 14 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
With each team looking to strengthen their squads for a shot at the SA20 Season 4 title, fans can expect fierce bidding, bold strategies, and possibly a few surprise millionaires by the end of the day in Johannesburg.
