SA20 Auction: Teams Can Keep Up to Six Players, Purse Increased to $2.3M

The highly anticipated SA20 Season 4 player auction is scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on September 9, according to an official league statement released on Tuesday, June 24. With a significant 72 slots available across the six teams, franchises will have ample opportunity to bolster their squads. Furthermore, the salary purse has been substantially increased to USD 2.3 million per team, promising a competitive and exciting auction.

All the franchises will see an increase in the purse to USD 2.3 million © Sportzpics

Prior to the auction, teams are permitted to retain a maximum of six players, including a limit of three international players. This strategic decision allows franchises to maintain a core group of established talent while also seeking fresh acquisitions.

Each franchise is allowed to have a maximum of seven overseas players within their 18-member squad. At least 11 slots must be reserved for local South African talent, ensuring the development and promotion of domestic cricketers.

A "wild card" signing will also be available to each of the six teams. This allows teams to sign either a South African or international player, and their league fee will not count towards the salary cap.

The upcoming auction will introduce the Right To Match (RTM) card for the first time in the SA20 league. This empowers franchises to match the winning bid for a player who represented them in the previous season, enabling them to retain key players for the 2025-26 edition. The number of RTM cards available to each franchise will vary depending on how many South African players they have retained.

Notably, the auction for the fourth season will replace the Rookie Draft with a new system. Franchises are now required to include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20, expressed his excitement for the upcoming auction: "The SA20 Season 4 Player Auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for the franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years and the upcoming auction should see plenty more."

Richard Madley will return as the auctioneer for the fourth season, which is scheduled to commence on Boxing Day, December 26.