Overview
- On Wednesday, all six SA20 franchises announced retained players and pre-signed internationals, finalising most cores for Season 5.
- High-profile overseas signings include Mitchell Marsh to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Joe Root to Paarl Royals, Sam Curran to Durban’s Super Giants, Phil Salt and Matthew Short to Pretoria Capitals, Will Jacks to MI Cape Town, and Jason Holder to Joburg Super Kings.
- Paarl Royals and Durban’s Super Giants have completed full 19-player squads and will not take part in the auction, while other teams enter the auction with between two and seven reported vacancies.
- SA20 has scheduled a single Player Auction for 7 October to allocate the 19 remaining slots, though published counts differ slightly for a few teams so final vacancy numbers should be checked against the official SA20 release.
- Season 5 runs from 17 January 2027 with an opener at St George’s Park to a final at Newlands on 21 February, and league commissioner Graeme Smith says the signings show growing global interest that will test squads’ mix of overseas talent, Under-23 requirements and wildcard options.