All six SA20 franchises locked in their retained and pre-signed squads for Season 5 on August 5, with Mitchell Marsh, Joe Root, Sam Curran and Phil Salt headlining the international arrivals. The season opens on January 17 at St George's Park and wraps up with the Final at Newlands on February 21. Two teams have already completed their full 19-player rosters — the rest fill their remaining spots at the Player Auction on October 7.
SA20 2027 quick facts
- Season: 5
- Teams: 6
- Squad size: Up to 19 players per franchise
- Salary cap: R41 million (~US$2.31 million) per team, excluding the Wildcard slot
- Retention window closed: July 31, 2026
- Pre-signings announced: August 5, 2026
- Player Auction: October 7, 2026 (19 open slots across all six teams)
- Tournament dates: January 17 – February 21, 2027
- Opening match: St George's Park
- Final: Newlands
Who needs to shop at the auction?
Durban's Super Giants and Paarl Royals are the only two franchises to have filled all 19 squad spots already, and every team has used up its overseas pre-signing quota — though Joburg Super Kings still hold a Wildcard option in reserve. At the auction, Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town each need six more players including one Under-23 signing apiece, Pretoria Capitals need five, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape have two slots left to fill.
League Commissioner Graeme Smith noted that most squads are already settled heading into the auction, which he framed as a sign of the competition's growing stability going into what should be a closely fought Season 5.
Marquee international arrivals
- Mitchell Marsh (Australia) — joins Sunrisers Eastern Cape for his SA20 debut, pairing with Quinton de Kock in the top order.
- Joe Root (England) — returns to Paarl Royals for a second spell, reuniting with breakout batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius.
- Sam Curran (England) — joins Durban's Super Giants alongside Aiden Markram and Jos Buttler.
- Phil Salt (England) — returns to Pretoria Capitals, having climbed to No. 4 in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
SA20 2027 team-wise squads
Durban's Super Giants — squad complete (19/19)
Head coach: Lance Klusener | Captain: Aiden Markram
Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Eathan Bosch, Jos Buttler, Gerald Coetzee, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, Tony de Zorzi, Daryn Dupavillon, Simon Harmer, Evan Jones, Heinrich Klaasen, Liam Livingstone, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Sunil Narine, Andile Simelane, Kyle Simmonds, Kane Williamson
Joburg Super Kings — 6 spots open at auction (incl. 1 U23)
Head coach: Albie Morkel | Captain: TBC
Jarren Bacher, Matthew de Villiers, Leus du Plooy, Donovan Ferreira, Dian Forrester, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Duan Jansen, Rilee Rossouw, Janco Smit, Prenelan Subrayen, James Vince
Notable player released: Faf du Plessis was not retained.
MI Cape Town — 6 spots open at auction (incl. 1 U23)
Head coach: Robin Peterson | Captain: Rashid Khan
Corbin Bosch, Reeza Hendricks, Will Jacks, Thomas Kaber, Rashid Khan, George Linde, Tristan Luus, Dane Piedt, Nicholas Pooran, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Jason Smith, Tiaan van Vuuren
Paarl Royals — squad complete (19/19)
Head coach: Trevor Penney | Captain: David Miller
Ottneil Baartman, JJ Basson, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann, Dan Lawrence, Keagan Lion-Cachet, David Miller, Nqobani Mokoena, Gudakesh Motie, Azmatullah Omarzai, Delano Potgieter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sikandar Raza, Thomas Rew, Joe Root, Asa Tribe, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Kyle Verreynne, Hardus Viljoen
Pretoria Capitals — 5 spots open at auction
Head coach: Sourav Ganguly | Captain: Keshav Maharaj
Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen, Wihan Lubbe, Keshav Maharaj, Bayanda Majola, Lungi Ngidi, Bryce Parsons, Gideon Peters, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Phil Salt, Matthew Short, Lizaad Williams, Codi Yusuf
Sunrisers Eastern Cape — 2 spots open at auction
Head coach: Adrian Birrell | Captain: Tristan Stubbs
Matthew Breetzke, James Coles, Quinton de Kock, Lewis Gregory, Jordan Hermann, Rishad Hossain, Marco Jansen, CJ King, JP King, Patrick Kruger, Mitchell Marsh, Adam Milne, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell van Buuren
SA20 2027 auction rules at a glance
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Squad size | Up to 19 players per franchise |
| Salary cap | R41 million per team (Wildcard signing exempt) |
| Under-23 mandate | Each squad must include a minimum number of U23 players |
| Wildcard signing | One player per team allowed outside the salary cap |
| Auction date | October 7, 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
When is the SA20 2027 Player Auction?
The auction is scheduled for October 7, 2026, with 19 open slots across all six franchises.
Which teams have completed their squads before the auction?
Durban's Super Giants and Paarl Royals are the only two franchises with a full 19-player roster already in place.
Who replaced Faf du Plessis at Joburg Super Kings?
Du Plessis was released ahead of Season 5; Joburg Super Kings will look to fill part of that gap at the October 7 auction, where they have six open slots including one Under-23 spot.
When does SA20 2027 start?
The tournament begins January 17, 2027 at St George's Park, with the Final on February 21 at Newlands.
What is the salary cap for SA20 2027?
R41 million (about US$2.31 million) per franchise, not including each team's exempt Wildcard signing.
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