SA20 Season 4 Auction: Team purses, retained players and all you need to know

The stakes could not be higher as the SA20 Season 4 Player Auction approaches, with US$7.37 million on the table to fill 84 slots across six franchises. The auction will take place in Johannesburg on September 9, with each team working from a salary cap of US$2.31 million, the second highest in global T20 leagues after the IPL. Pretoria Capitals enter the auction with the largest purse of US$1.86 million. The franchise has undergone a coaching overhaul, appointing former India captain Sourav Ganguly as head coach and ex-Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock as assistant coach. Durban’s Super Giants follow with US$1.66 million and will look to build around their big names including Jos Buttler, Sunil Narine, Heinrich Klaasen and Noor Ahmad. Joburg Super Kings have US$1.2 million to spend, with captain Faf du Plessis, James Vince, Richard Gleeson, Akeal Hosein and Donovan Ferreira already secured. Sunrisers Eastern Cape, two-time champions, also hold US$1.2 million after pre-signing Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Jonny Bairstow, Adam Milne and Afghanistan spinner Allah Ghazanfar. Paarl Royals carry US$0.819 million into the auction as they chase a first finals berth after three Playoff appearances. They have retained David Miller, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann and last season’s top run-scorer Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Defending champions MI Cape Town will work with US$0.65 million after committing to their title-winning core. Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Trent Boult, George Linde, Corbin Bosch and Nicholas Pooran headline the squad. In a new regulation, all franchises must include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their 19-member squads. The rule replaces the Rookie Draft used in the previous two seasons. With money and strategy on the line, the September 9 auction promises to reshape the landscape of SA20 Season 4.