Explained: How Does the SA20 Auction Work?

The excitement is building as the SA20 Auction approaches, set to take place in Cape Town on October 1. With six franchises looking to finalize their squads for the upcoming season starting on January 9, 2025, this auction promises to be a thrilling event for cricket fans and teams alike.

Auction Overview

The third player auction of the SA20 will feature 188 players, including 115 South Africans and 73 overseas players. However, only 13 regular picks and six rookie slots are available, meaning that just 10% of the total player pool will be filled during this auction. The competition among franchises to secure top talent will be fierce as they seek to complete their squads.

Notable players entering the auction include West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph, England seamers Jake Ball, Saqib Mahmood, Ollie Robinson, and Josh Hull, as well as New Zealand‘s explosive T20I opener Martin Guptill.

The Auction Process

The auction will be structured into phases based on player skill sets. There will be five sets of players presented in the first phase:

1. Batters
2. Wicket-keepers
3. Allrounders
4. Fast bowlers
5. Spin bowlers

Each set will consist of 7-10 players, totaling around 40 players initially presented. This selection will include a mix of South African and overseas talents.

Should franchises require additional players after the first round, an express round will follow, allowing teams to list unsold players from earlier rounds for auction until each team has a complete roster of 17 players.

If any teams remain incomplete after this express round, there will be a final call for remaining players before concluding the auction process. Following this, a break will occur before the Rookie Draft begins.

Understanding the Rookie Draft

The Rookie Draft is an integral part of the SA20 structure, aimed at promoting young South African talent. Each franchise must sign at least one rookie player from this draft, which consists of South African players aged 22 or younger who have not previously been contracted to SA20.

This year, a total of 89 players have registered for the Rookie Draft, which will occur after the player auction concludes.

Team Budgets and Remaining Purse

As teams prepare for the auction, they have a collective salary cap of R39.1 million for Season 3. The financial standings of each franchise vary significantly:

• Paarl Royals: R11.95 million
• MI Cape Town: R8.275 million
• Pretoria Capitals: R4.575 million
• Joburg Super Kings: R3.925 million
• Sunrisers Eastern Cape: R2.845 million
• Durban’s Super Giants: R2.35 million

Each franchise has different slots available for filling their rosters, including overseas and rookie positions.

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Slots Available for Each Franchise

Each franchise has different slots available for filling their rosters:

• Durban’s Super Giants

Remaining slots: 1

Overseas slots: 1

Rookie slots: 1

• Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Remaining slots: 2

Overseas slots: 2

Rookie slots: 1

• Joburg Super Kings

Remaining slots: 3

Overseas slots: 2

Rookie slots: 1

• MI Cape Town

Remaining slots: 3

Overseas slots: 1

Rookie slots: 1

• Paarl Royals

Remaining slots: 1

Overseas slots: 1

Rookie slots: 1

• Pretoria Capitals

Remaining slots: 3

Overseas slots: 3

Rookie slots: 1

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