SA20 Teams Given Green Light for Six Player Retentions Ahead of Auction

SA20 Teams Can Retain Up to Six Players in Upcoming Auction

The stage is set for the SA20's fourth season auction, with teams now permitted to retain a maximum of six players. The auction will be held in Johannesburg on September 9th, as confirmed by the league on Tuesday, June 24th.

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

A significant increase in the salary purse has been announced, reaching USD 2.3 million for each team. With at least 72 slots available across the six franchises, the competition is expected to be fierce.

Each franchise can retain a maximum of six players before the auction. These retentions can include no more than three international players. The SA20 emphasizes nurturing local talent; therefore, a minimum of 11 slots are reserved for South African players in each 18-member squad.

Wild Card Signings and Right to Match (RTM)

Adding another layer of strategy, each team has the option to sign a "wild card player," either a South African or international cricketer, whose league fee will not count towards the salary cap.

This season will also introduce the Right To Match (RTM) card. This allows a franchise to match the winning bid for a player who represented them in the previous season, ensuring they can retain valuable team members. The number of RTM cards available to each franchise will depend on how many South African players they have retained.

Rookie Draft Replaced

A notable change is the removal of the Rookie Draft. Instead, franchises are now responsible for including at least two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads.

"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," stated Stephen Cook, Head of Cricket Operations at SA20. "Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years and the upcoming auction should see plenty more."

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