SA20 League Captains Revealed
The second edition of South Africa’s premier T20 tournament is poised to take centre stage, with six teams and 34 matches across the country. The new format sees the teams play each other twice, at home and away, before the top four head to a playoff that mirrors the IPL model, with two qualifiers, an eliminator and a final to determine the champion. The franchises were given a R131 million (US$7.37m) purse to spend on the 84 available squad slots at the player auction, scheduled for 9 September.
A number of SA20 2026 names are expected to cross the gavel at this year’s event, including England’s record-breaking all-rounder Moeen Ali and wicket-taking hero Alex Hales, both of whom were part of their T20 World Cup-winning squads. The likes of South African domestic stars such as explosive batting prospect Dewald Brevis and exciting fast-bowler Kwena Maphaka will also be on the block, with the teams making strategic selections to ensure they have sufficient depth in their respective categories.
Young Talent Emerges in SA20
The big movers at this year’s auction include Durban’s Super Giants who broke the bank to sign the prolific Aiden Markram, while Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town retained their respective captains in Faf du Plessis and Rashid Khan. The canny decision by MICT to retain the inspirational, genius Afghan legspinner as their captain is reflective of his ability to manage off-field matters in a fast-paced tournament. He will be supported by the shrewd appointment of Keshav Maharaj to guide the team at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead, with his intimate knowledge of the venue and man-managing skills proving to be essential.