SA20 Season 4: Franchises Announce Retained, Pre-Signed Players Ahead of September Auction
The build-up to the SA20 Season 4 auction intensified on Wednesday as the six franchises revealed their lists of retained and pre-signed players. The announcement, made via an official league statement, provides the first look at squad strategies ahead of the highly anticipated auction scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg.
Under the retention rules, teams were allowed to keep up to six players, comprising a maximum of three South Africans and three overseas signings, before the July 18 deadline. Additionally, each franchise exercised its right to name a Wildcard player — either an overseas recruit or a player from its previous season’s squad. With these moves finalized, teams now focus on filling the remaining slots using a combined purse of USD 7.4 million to bid for 84 available players at the auction.
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Team Retentions and Purses
| Team (Purse) | Retained / Pre-Signed Players |
|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants (USD 1.6 million) | Sunil Narine*, Noor Ahmad*, Jos Buttler*, Heinrich Klaasen (Wildcard) |
| Joburg Super Kings (USD 1.2 million) | Faf du Plessis, James Vince*, Akeal Hosein*, Richard Gleeson*, Donovan Ferreira (Wildcard) |
| MI Cape Town (USD 654K) | Ryan Rickelton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan*, Trent Boult*, Nicholas Pooran*, Kagiso Rabada (Wildcard) |
| Paarl Royals (USD 825K) | Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman*, Sikandar Raza*, Rubin Hermann (Wildcard) |
| Pretoria Capitals (USD 1.8 million) | Will Jacks*, Sherfane Rutherford*, Andre Russell* (Wildcard) |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape (USD 1.2 million) | Tristan Stubbs, Allah Ghazanfar*, Adam Milne*, Jonny Bairstow*, Marco Jansen (Wildcard) |
(*Denotes overseas players)
The upcoming auction will feature high-profile South African names such as Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj, alongside promising talents like Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka. T20 specialists Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi are also available, promising intense bidding wars.
League Commissioner Graeme Smith described this season as a “strategic reset,” highlighting the balance franchises have struck between retaining core players and entering the auction with substantial funds. “After three seasons, teams have a better grasp of the domestic cricket landscape and have developed distinct strategies, setting the stage for the most exciting auction yet,” Smith stated.
Defending champions MI Cape Town have maximized their retention slots to maintain squad stability, while Pretoria Capitals hold the largest purse, giving them flexibility to build a fresh core. Durban’s Super Giants and Joburg Super Kings have secured key overseas stars, and Paarl Royals have continued investing in young talent, including last season’s Batter of the Season, Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
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