SA20 Unveils Pre-Signed and Retained Players Ahead of Season 4 Auction

Johannesburg – Ahead of the Season 4 auction scheduled for September 9, the six SA20 franchises have announced their list of retained and pre-signed players.

Each team was allowed to retain or pre-sign up to six players—a maximum of three South African and three overseas players—during the retention window, which closed on July 18.

In addition to this, all teams have also completed their Wildcard signings, with attention now turning to the 84 available spots at the auction and a combined spending purse of USD 7.4 million.

For Season 4, a Wildcard could be any overseas player or a South African who was part of the team’s squad in Season 3.

Durban’s Super Giants have focused heavily on international firepower, signing West Indies legend Sunil Narine, England’s Jos Buttler, and Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, while retaining star Heinrich Klaasen as their Wildcard. They will go into the auction with USD 1.7 million, the second-highest remaining purse, to fill 15 slots.

Joburg Super Kings have retained captain Faf du Plessis and added English pair James Vince and Richard Gleeson. They hold the joint third-largest auction purse of USD 1.2 million.

Defending champions MI Cape Town have used their full allowance of six players plus a Wildcard, aiming to preserve the core of their Season 3 winning squad. They’ve added a big name in Nicholas Pooran from the West Indies.

Paarl Royals, with five players and a Wildcard retained, have continued their focus on youth by keeping Lhuan-dre Pretorius, the teenage sensation and Season 3 Batter of the Season. They’ve also signed Zimbabwe T20I captain Sikandar Raza, marking the first participation from South Africa’s northern neighbor in the SA20.

Pretoria Capitals have taken a different approach, choosing to leave most of their signings for the auction. So far, they’ve retained two players and picked West Indies T20 star Andre Russell as their Wildcard. They will head into the auction with the highest remaining purse of USD 1.8 million and need 16 players to complete their roster.

Several top South African stars are still available in the auction pool, including Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Dewald Brevis, and Kwena Maphaka. T20 veterans like Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi will also be up for grabs.

SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith said, "When we drafted the league regulations in Season 1, we envisioned this season as a point for strategic reset—and that’s exactly where we are. There’s now a strong balance between pre-signed and retained players, both international and local, with a healthy auction purse available."

"After three seasons, the franchises have developed a solid understanding of the South African cricket ecosystem. They’ve embraced distinct strategies, setting the stage for what promises to be the most exciting auction yet," he added.

With inputs from IANS