Player auction for third season of SA20 to be held on October 1

The player auction for the third season of South Africa’s premier domestic T20 tournament, SA20, is scheduled to be held on October 1 in Cape Town. There are only 13 slots to be filled from the auction as many teams have pre-signed and retained most of their players.

The third edition of SA20 will be held from January 9 to February 8, 2025.

The SA20 will see many international players turning out for their domestic franchises, modelled on the lines of the Indian Premier League. The teams in SA20 are owned by IPL franchise owners.

Former India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Dinesh Karthik will be the first Indian player to play in the SA20. He was earlier announced as the brand ambassador for the league and was later signed up by Paarl Royals, co-owned by the Rajasthan Royals franchise.

Former South African captain and SA20 league commissioner Greame Smith said the third season promises to be an entertainer. “We are incredibly proud of all the domestic players who have been retained by the teams, including the majority of the rookies who have been incorporated as fully-contracted players for Season 3. To have the calibre of international players joining local heroes like Aiden (Markram), KG (Kagiso Rabada) and Heinrich (Klassen) sets up an explosive season,” Smith said, in a statement released by SA20.

Each franchise will need to select their ‘Season 3 Rookie’ while three franchises still have a wildcard option left. The franchises can use the wildcard to sign any player before December 30, 2024.

The third edition of SA20 will also see international cricketers like Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Trent Boult, Johnny Bairstow, Devon Conway, Zak Crawley, Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz along with Dinesh Karthik playing alongside several South African domestic cricketers.