History was made at the SA20 Season 4 Player Auction in Johannesburg as Dewald Brevis smashed all records to become the league’s most expensive signing. With franchises battling to build their squads from a combined purse of US$7.37 million, it was Brevis who stole the spotlight.
Dewald Brevis Becomes Most Expensive SA20 Player Ever
The young star, fresh off an impressive stint as a replacement player for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2025, triggered a fierce bidding war between Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals. In the end, it was the Capitals who got their man for a whopping Rand 16.5 million (Rs 8.31 crore), the highest-ever bid in SA20 history. Earlier in the day, Aiden Markram’s signing with Durban Super Giants for 14 million Rand looked like it would stand as the record, but Brevis went one better.
Big Money and High Stakes
Each of the six SA20 franchises entered the auction with a salary cap of US$2.31 million, making the league the second-richest T20 competition in the world after the IPL. A total of 84 slots were up for grabs, and the excitement was sky-high with over 800 registrations trimmed down to a pool of 541 players, including 300 South Africans and 241 international cricketers.
The Pretoria Capitals led the way with the biggest purse at US$1.86 million and a refreshed coaching team featuring Sourav Ganguly and Shaun Pollock. Durban’s Super Giants weren’t far behind with US$1.66 million still in hand, while the Joburg Super Kings and Sunrisers Eastern Cape both entered the auction with US$1.2 million to spend. Paarl Royals had US$0.819 million left, and defending champions MI Cape Town had the smallest budget at US$0.65 million.
Team Plans and Star Power
Each franchise has its own strategy. Durban Super Giants are sticking with a solid core that includes Jos Buttler, Sunil Narine, Heinrich Klaasen, and Noor Ahmad, with Lance Klusener and Allan Donald guiding the team.
Read More
Joburg Super Kings will rely on captain Faf du Plessis and a mix of English and West Indian talent. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape, who have already lifted the trophy twice, continue to be sharp operators with names like Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Jonny Bairstow, Adam Milne, and Afghanistan’s exciting young spinner Allah Ghazanfar.
Paarl Royals are banking on youth and experience with Lhuan-dre Pretorius and David Miller leading the way, while MI Cape Town aim to defend their crown around Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, and Ryan Rickelton.
South African and Global Talent
The auction pool is packed with South Africa’s best. Current T20I captain Aiden Markram leads the list, joined by seven members of the squad that played in the ICC T20 World Cup final: Anrich Nortje, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Ottneil Baartman, and Gerald Coetzee.
Test World Champions such as Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Tony de Zorzi, and Dane Paterson are also in the mix.
From overseas, the lineup is just as exciting with big names like Shakib-al-Hasan, James Anderson, Alex Hales, Moeen Ali, Tom Abell, Adam Rossington, Jordan Cox, Daniel Worrall, D’Arcy Short, and Devon Conway.
New Rules and Auction Twists
There are a few fresh rules this season. Squads must now have 19 players, including at least two Under-23 South Africans, replacing the old Rookie Draft system. Teams can sign a maximum of seven overseas players and must include at least nine local cricketers, plus one Wildcard for flexibility.
Adding even more drama is the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) card, which lets franchises keep hold of players from previous seasons by matching the highest bid.
Countdown to Season 4
With the auction wrapping up, all eyes now turn to the start of the SA20’s fourth season on 26 December 2025. If the auction is anything to go by, fans are in for a thrilling summer of cricket.
ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya’s Richard Mille Watch Costs 8 Times The Asia Cup 2025 Prize Money
