SA20 franchises head into Season 5 auction with millions to spend

Photo: SA20

Four Betway SA20 franchises will have R35.025 million available to complete their squads when the Season 5 Player Auction takes place on Wednesday, with 19 player slots still up for grabs.

The auction begins at 17:00 South African time and will be broadcast live on SuperSport, with international viewers also able to follow the action across major cricket platforms.

Pretoria Capitals, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town and Sunrisers Eastern Cape will be involved in the auction, while Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals have already completed their squads.

The league increased the Season 5 salary cap to R42 million, setting the scene for another potentially significant night of spending.

The auction has become a defining part of the SA20 calendar, with more than R1.17 billion spent on players across the first five editions.

Last season produced the league’s biggest purchase to date when Pretoria Capitals paid R16.5 million for Dewald Brevis. The South African batter responded by helping the Capitals reach the final.

“Obviously, there are people that refer to the price tag, but for me I just remain Dewald and keep playing the game,” Brevis said.

The previous record was held by Sunrisers Eastern Cape captain Tristan Stubbs, who still remembers the disbelief surrounding his own auction experience.

“I remember watching the Auction with my digs mates. We were jumping up and down. We couldn’t believe what just happened,” Stubbs said.

The auction has also proved a major platform for emerging talent. Matthew Breetzke was signed by Durban’s Super Giants for his R175,000 base price at the inaugural auction before moving to Sunrisers Eastern Cape for R6.1 million three seasons later.

“The opportunity that the Durban Super Giants gave me was something that catapulted my career,” Breetzke said.

For established players, the uncertainty remains just as intense.

“Going into the Auction, it’s a fear of the unknown,” Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj said. “Regardless of who you are, I think there’s always an element of where, price, if I’m going to get picked first of all.”

South African auctioneer Dan Nicholl will conduct the event for the first time, with former Proteas Chris Morris and Neil McKenzie providing expert analysis.

With 19 slots remaining and more than R35 million to spend, the focus will be on which franchises make the biggest moves and whether another record signing emerges on auction night.