Markram leads SA20 2025-26 auction hot list, no Pakistani player makes the cut

CAPE TOWN: The SA20 2025-26 season is set to kick off with a blockbuster auction on September 9 in Johannesburg. However, Pakistani cricketers will be sitting this one out, because not a single player has been able to make the cut.

A total of 541 players have been shortlisted for the auction, drawn from an initial registration list of over 800. The pool includes 300 South African and 241 overseas players, with squads looking to fill 84 open slots across six franchises.

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Each team has a budget of R131 million (approximately US$7.37 million) and must structure their squad of 19 players with a minimum of nine local South Africans, a cap of seven international players, and two under-23 domestic talents.

Despite the abundance of global talent on display, Pakistani players continue to be absent, maintaining a trend since the league’s inception. The continued lack of representation comes amid the backdrop of all six SA20 franchises being owned by Indian Premier League (IPL) stakeholders.

The auction list features a host of big international names including James Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Alex Hales from England; Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman from Bangladesh; and Australians D’Arcy Short and Peter Hatzoglou, despite the Big Bash League (BBL) scheduling conflicts.

Other countries represented include: 28 players from the West Indies, 97 from England, 24 from Sri Lanka, 14 from Bangladesh, and Dipendra Singh Airee from Nepal.

The SA20 season will run from December 26, 2025, to January 25, 2026, featuring six franchises: MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban’s Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals.

AIDEN MARKRAM TIPPED TO BE TOP PICK IN SA20 2026 AUCTION

With the SA20 auction just around the corner, former South African all-rounder Chris Morris believes Aiden Markram is poised to spark a bidding frenzy.

“My money’s on Markram being the most in-demand player this year,” Morris said during a SuperSport segment. “There are always surprises, but he’s definitely the guy every team wants.”

Morris also pointed to Dewald Brevis and Matthew Breetzke as likely Plan B options if teams miss out on Markram. “Those two could trigger serious bidding wars too,” he added.

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Markram has been a standout performer in the SA20, leading Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, and finishing runners-up in 2025. His leadership, consistency at the top of the order, and handy off-spin make him a triple threat, and a captain’s dream.