SA20 Auction Rules: Teams Allowed Six Player Retentions Ahead of Season 4

SA20 Teams Can Retain Up To Six Players Ahead of Auction

The fourth season of the SA20 is gearing up with exciting changes for the upcoming player auction. Scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, the auction promises a significant shakeup as teams strategize to fill their rosters.

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

Key Changes for SA20 Season 4 Auction:

• Increased Salary Purse: Each franchise will have a significantly increased salary purse of USD 2.3 million to build their teams.
• Retention Policy: Teams can retain a maximum of six players from their previous squad. The retention policy allows for a maximum of three overseas players to be pre-signed.
• Squad Composition: Each team can have a maximum of seven overseas players in their 18-member squad. At least 11 slots must be filled by local South African players.
• Wild Card Player: A "wild card" signing is available for each of the six teams. This allows teams to sign either a South African or foreign player whose league fee falls outside the salary cap.
• Right To Match (RTM) Card: The SA20 introduces the RTM card for the first time. This empowers franchises to match the winning bid for a player who was part of their team in the previous season, securing their return for the 2025-26 edition. The number of RTM cards available to each team will depend on the number of South African players they retain.
• No Rookie Draft: The Rookie Draft has been replaced with a mandate for franchises to include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

Anticipation Builds for the Auction

Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20, anticipates an exciting auction. "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," Cook stated. He believes that the new mechanisms, such as RTM cards, Wildcard players, and the increased salary cap, will lead to interesting strategic decisions by the teams.

Richard Madley will continue as the auctioneer for the fourth season. The SA20 Season 4 is scheduled to commence on December 26.