He was bought for the base price of R1 million.
The SA20 2026 auction took place on September 9, where several records were broken with players going for enormous prices. Amidst all the chaos, the Sunrisers franchise signed James Coles, and it could be a sign for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape bagged the 21-year-old Englishman for a base price of R1 million in the accelerated round. But who is James Coles?
James Coles, who was part of the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, wasn’t earmarked as a prodigy like his teammate Jacob Bethell. But he has made rapid strides in his career with consistent performances in the English domestic circuit.
The Buckinghamshire-born youngster was the youngest player to debut for Sussex in First Class cricket at the age of 16. On his debut, he picked up wickets of Rory Burns, Ben Foakes, and Jamie Smith.
Coles is a quality left-arm spinner who is equally good with the bat in the middle order. He has displayed his all-round prowess with an incredible year, starting with the County Championship. The right-hand batter is the highest run-getter for Sussex in the ongoing County season with 894 runs at an average of 47.05. Coles has registered three centuries and four half-centuries in the season. On the top of that, he has snared 17 wickets at 34.82 apiece with one five-for.
Coles also had an excellent T20 Blast campaign, where he amassed 397 runs at a strike rate of 159 while averaging 33. He bagged 10 scalps with the ball at an economy of 9.22. In The Hundred, the all-rounder was one of the positives for Southern Brave in a disappointing tournament. He made 124 runs from eight games at 25 average and strike rate of 136 while picking up six wickets at 8.22.
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James Coles has caught the attention of the franchises and perhaps the England management with his performances in domestic cricket. This acquisition by Sunrisers in the SA20 2026 auction could be a sign of things to come.
Coles has the all-round skill set, which is extremely valuable in the shorter format. He has shown the ability to score at a fast rate in T20 Blast, and on some tough pitches in The Hundred. He has a solid technique as a batter and can strike big against spinners.
There’s plenty to like about him. A package like him could attract interest from a few IPL franchises. A potential contract with Sunrisers Hyderabad at the IPL 2026 auction might not be far-fetched.
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