SA20 Teams Granted Up to Six Retentions Ahead of Player Auction

The stage is set for the fourth season of SA20, with the player auction scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on September 9. A significant increase in the salary purse to USD 2.3 million for each team promises an exciting event, where franchises will compete for a minimum of 72 available slots across the six teams.

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

Before the auction commences, teams are permitted to retain a maximum of six players or pre-signings. These retentions can include up to three international players.

Each franchise is allowed to assemble an 18-member squad, which must include a maximum of seven overseas players. At least 11 slots are reserved for local South African talent. Adding another layer of intrigue, each of the six teams will have the option of signing a 'wild card player,' either a South African or foreign cricketer, whose league fee will not count toward the salary cap.

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

In a departure from previous seasons, the auction will no longer include a Rookie Draft. Instead, franchises are required to include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20, commented: "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 continue his role as the auctioneer for the fourth season, which is scheduled to begin on Boxing Day, December 26.