SA20 Auction: Teams Given Green Light for Six Player Retentions Amid Salary Cap Boost

The fourth season of the SA20 is gearing up for its player auction, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg on September 9th. A significant increase in the salary purse to USD 2.3 million for each team marks a key development ahead of the auction.

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

With a minimum of 72 slots available across the six teams, franchises have the option to retain a maximum of six players before the auction. These retentions can include up to three overseas players.

Each franchise can assemble an 18-member squad, with a cap of seven overseas players and a minimum of 11 slots reserved for local South African talent. Furthermore, teams can sign a 'wild card player,' either South African or foreign, whose league fee falls outside the standard salary cap.

The SA20 will introduce the Right To Match (RTM) card for the first time. This allows franchises to match the winning bid for a player who was part of their team in the previous season, ensuring they can retain that player 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.

Another change for the upcoming season is the removal of the Rookie Draft. Instead, franchises must include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

"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," stated Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20. "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 December 26th.