The player auction for the third season of the SA20 will take place in Cape Town on October 1, 2024. The upcoming auction, which promises to be a major event in the build-up to the tournament, will fill 13 places among the six competing franchises. The league commissioner, Graeme Smith, delivered the formal announcement, emphasising the significance of this stage in describing the teams for the upcoming season.

The third season of SA20 will run from January 9 to February 8, 2025, featuring six teams: Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Mumbai Indians Cape Town, Pretoria Capitals, Paarl Royals, Johannesburg Super Kings, and Durban Super Giants. These teams will once again vie for the prestigious title in what has quickly become a premier T20 tournament in the global cricket calendar.

Following the closure of the pre-signing and retention window, each franchise has the responsibility of selecting 13 more players at the auction. Additionally, teams are required to select their Season 3 Rookie, with three franchises still holding a wildcard pick that must be announced before December 30, 2024.

Graeme Smith emphasised the rapid rise of the SA20 league, stating, “In the first two seasons, the world class cricket in front of capacity crowds has positioned SA20 as one of the Tier 1 franchise leagues on the global circuit. With international stars like Dinesh Karthik, Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Trent Boult, Johnny Bairstow, Devon Conway, Zak Crawley, Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz committing to their respective SA20 teams, the hard work that the League and franchises have put in to create a world-class experience has paid off and we thank everyone involved for their monumental efforts,” said Graeme Smith.

“To have the calibre of international players joining local heroes like Aiden, KG and Heinrich sets up an explosive season. We are also incredibly proud of all the domestic players who have been retained by the teams, including the majority of the rookies who have been incorporated as fully-contracted players for Season 3.” he added.