It won’t be inappropriate to say South Africa’s SA20 is like a mini-IPL. After all, IPL team owners run the six franchises, have the same name, and SA20 follows the same format as the Indian T20 league.
Then the player acquisition process is also the same. The South African league holds a player auction before every season, adding a dose of entertainment.
Similar to the IPL, the SA20 auction has seen fierce bidding wars between teams to secure the best players. And teams have gone to lengths to secure a player by shelling out handsome money.
So here are the most expensive players bought in the SA20 auction.
5. Donovan Ferreira
Donovan Ferreira is a complete all-rounder, as he can bat, bowl off-spin, and keep the wickets. Teams often look for such players, and Joburg Super Kings (JSK) decided to invest in him.
JSK acquired the services of Ferreira for Rand 5.5 million in the 2023 auction. There was a three-way battle over the all-rounder between JSK, Pretoria Capitals, and Paarl Royals, but the Super Kings went all in to make it the fifth-most expensive pick.
4. Wayne Parnell
Pretoria Capitals found a good leader and a seamer in Wayne Parnell in the inaugural SA20 auction. The seasoned T20 cricketer bagged a Rand 5.6 million deal from the Capitals along with the captaincy reins.
The punt by the Capitals seemed to have paid off as Parnell led from the front, taking the team to the final. They lost the summit clash to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, while the left-hand bowler finished with 10 wickets.
3. Marco Jansen
Just a few months into his international cricket career, Marco Jansen started gaining attention with his pace and accuracy. His tall height has also helped him emerge as a lethal fast bowler.
Before SA20 started, Jansen turned up for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2022 season. And in the auction, their sister franchise, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, signed the tall pacer for Rand 6.1 million.
The acquisition proved right as Jansen propelled the Eastern Cape to consecutive titles in the first two seasons. He not only contributed with the ball but also put in fiery batting knocks.
2. Rilee Rossouw
Rilee Rossouw was the other marquee pick by the Capitals in 2023. They spent Rand 6.9 million on the left-hander to make him the second-most expensive player in the SA20 auction.
Before the auction, Rossouw returned to South Africa’s T20I squad with a bang, scoring an unbeaten 96 against England. That fiery knock prompted franchises to go big after him, with the Capitals making no mistake in signing the globetrotter.
1. Tristan Stubbs
If Jansen’s purchase wasn’t enough, the Eastern Cape went after another young South African in the 2023 auction. They splurged a whopping Rand 9.2 million on Tristan Stubbs, making him the most expensive player in the SA20 auction’s history.
The Eastern Cape were at loggerheads with MI Cape Town to acquire the multi-dimensional player. Stubbs can bat, bowl, and keep wickets, which makes him an asset for any team.
And the right-hander proved his worth in the first two seasons, helping the Eastern Cape win the league twice. He scored 190 and 301 runs in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Read Next | Complete List of All IPL Team Owners
Leave a Reply