SA20 Teams Given Green Light for Six Player Retentions Ahead of Auction

The fourth season of the SA20 is gearing up for its player auction, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on September 9. According to an official statement released on Tuesday, June 24, teams will have the opportunity to bolster their squads ahead of the highly anticipated event.

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

With at least 72 spots available across the six teams, this year's mega auction promises significant changes. Each team's salary purse has been substantially increased to USD 2.3 million, allowing for strategic player acquisitions.

Franchises are permitted to retain a maximum of six players or pre-signings before the auction. However, no more than three of these can be international players.

Each franchise can include up to seven overseas players in their 18-member squad. A minimum of 11 slots are reserved for local South African talent. Teams can also utilize a wild card signing to acquire either a South African or foreign player, with their league fee excluded from the salary cap.

A key addition to this year’s auction is the introduction of the Right To Match (RTM) card. This allows franchises to match the winning bid for a player who previously represented their team, retaining their services for the 2025-26 season. The number of RTM cards available to each franchise will depend on the number of South African players they retain.

Unlike previous seasons, the upcoming auction will not include a Rookie Draft. Instead, franchises are required to sign at least two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20, commented on the exciting developments: "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 December 26, Boxing Day.