SA20 Auction 2025: Fewer Retentions, Bigger Budgets, More Drama

The build-up to Season 4 of the SA20 is already heating up, with a dramatic shake-up confirmed ahead of this year’s player auction. Scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, the auction is expected to be the most unpredictable yet, as nearly two-thirds of the player pool is up for grabs.

Franchises will only be allowed to retain or pre-sign six players this time around — the fewest since the tournament began. That leaves a whopping 72 slots open across the six teams, or 63% of the total 108 roster spots. The core squad rules stay the same — a maximum of seven overseas players per squad and at least 11 South African players. What’s changed is the money. The salary cap has been bumped up to R41 million (roughly $2.31 million), making SA20 the second-richest league globally in terms of team spending — trailing only the IPL. It’s no coincidence either, considering all six teams are owned by IPL franchises. 

Moreover, The auction will feature a new twist this year with the introduction of the Right To Match (RTM) card — a familiar concept for IPL fans. This card gives teams a chance to bring back a player from last season by matching the highest bid made for him at the auction. The number of RTM cards available to each team will depend on how many South Africans they decide to retain.  

One other notable change: there will be no Rookie Draft this time. Instead, teams will need to make sure they include at least two players under the age of 23 in their final 19-man squads. This puts the responsibility squarely on the franchises to scout and snap up young talent themselves. 

As always, the voice of the auction will be the ever-reliable Richard Madley, who returns as auctioneer. With so many slots to fill, big budgets, and fewer pre-signed players, the SA20 auction on September 9 is shaping up to be an absolute blockbuster. The tournament itself is set to kick off on December 26.