SA20 Teams Get Nod for Six Player Retentions Ahead of Season 4 Auction

SA20 Teams Granted Six Retentions Ahead of Auction

The SA20 league has announced that franchises will be allowed to retain up to six players before the Season 4 auction, scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg. This move is designed to provide teams with a foundation of familiar faces while also injecting fresh talent into the competition.

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

Each team can retain a maximum of three international players within their six retentions. With a minimum of 72 slots available across the six teams, the upcoming auction promises significant changes to team compositions. Furthermore, the salary purse for each franchise has been substantially increased to USD 2.3 million, allowing for more competitive bidding and potentially higher player acquisitions.

Each of the 18-member squads can include a maximum of seven overseas players, ensuring that at least 11 slots are filled by local South African talent.

A new addition to the SA20 is the introduction of a 'wild card player' for each of the six teams. These players, either South African or international, can be signed with their league fee falling outside the standard salary cap, providing additional flexibility for team composition.

The Season 4 auction will also see the debut of the Right To Match (RTM) card. This allows franchises to match the winning bid for a player who was on their roster in the previous season, enabling them to retain familiar talent. The number of RTM cards available to each franchise will depend on the number of South African players they have already retained.

Another significant change is the elimination of the Rookie Draft. Instead, franchises are now required to include a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads, emphasizing the league's commitment to developing young talent.

"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," said 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 return as the auctioneer for the fourth season, which is scheduled to begin on December 26, Boxing Day.