The SA20 retentions list for the 2026 season is out, and it comes with some big surprises and bold calls by franchises. From Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s captain Aiden Markram opting to go into the auction, to Mumbai Indians-owned MI Cape Town releasing Dewald Brevis and signing Nicholas Pooran, the pre-auction moves offer a glimpse into strategic shake-ups across the IPL-owned teams in South Africa’s premier T20 league.
As the SA20 2026 auction approaches, franchises have finalized their retentions and pre-signings under a revised policy that allows only six retained or pre-signed players, the lowest since the tournament’s inception. With the salary cap increased to Rand 41 million and 72 of 102 total squad spots up for grabs, this will be the league’s most significant auction yet.
The biggest headline among the SA20 retentions news is Aiden Markram’s decision to skip retention and head straight to the auction. The long-time captain of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Markram led the franchise to back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024 and a runner-up finish in 2025. He’s also the team’s highest all-time run-scorer.
Despite his central role and close ties with the broader Sunrisers (SRH) franchise ecosystem, Markram has chosen to test the auction waters. Sunrisers Eastern Cape, however, have the right-to-match (RTM) option available and could still bring him back if bidding goes beyond expected limits.
This move shakes up the SA20 2026 retentions table and opens the door for other franchises to go after one of the most consistent batters in the league.
Another major talking point in the SA20 retentions 2026 window is MI Cape Town’s decision to release Dewald Brevis, who has long been considered a franchise cornerstone. Brevis, who joined Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as a replacement player during IPL 2025, now becomes a hot prospect across leagues owned by the Super Kings brand.
Reports suggest Johannesburg Super Kings, CSK’s SA20 team, are keen on acquiring Brevis at the upcoming auction. There’s also speculation that CSK’s MLC outfit, Texas Super Kings, might look to add Brevis to their lineup in 2026. The franchise handle dropped hints of a wildcard signing that is not yet listed and speculation is that it is Brevis, who might not go to the auction pool.
His release signals Mumbai’s intent to revamp their squad, while CSK may be planning a full-on multi-league acquisition strategy for the young South African.
While MI Cape Town released Brevis, they pulled off a major pre-signing by roping in Nicholas Pooran from Durban’s Super Giants. Pooran is a key player for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL and was an integral part of the Durban setup.
The SA20 retentions list now has Pooran wearing MI blue, and that raises questions about potential IPL trades. While a trade as big as Pooran won’t be new for Mumbai Indians as they closed the Hardik Pandya deal couple of seasons ago, it would be massive in the IPL context if it happens. Rumours on a possible trade between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2026 auction have floated around, although there has been no confirmed reports yet.
With MI possibly eyeing a keeper-batter, Pooran’s cross-league signing might serve as a soft signal of future movement in the IPL transfer window, even if not in the present cycle.
His presence alongside Rashid Khan, Trent Boult, and Kagiso Rabada gives MI Cape Town one of the strongest overseas cores in SA20 2026.
The SA20 2026 retentions also confirmed that Faf du Plessis and Donovan Ferreira will stay with Johannesburg Super Kings. Both players have close links to the CSK ecosystem — Du Plessis is a CSK legend and Ferreira has been a rising T20 asset across leagues. Notably, CSK sister franchises own these players across SA20 and MLC, but do not yet have them in the IPL with both players at Delhi Capitals.
CSK’s interest in bringing Faf back in some form, whether in the IPL or via affiliated leagues, remains strong, especially as they eye more leadership in the team post-MS Dhoni, even if not in a captaincy position. Ferreira, meanwhile, continues to be groomed as a utility option in multiple roles.
Their retention reinforces CSK’s strategy of building cohesive units across all franchise arms.
Below is the team-wise breakdown of SA20 2026 retentions, pre-signings, and wildcard picks:
| Player | Current IPL Team | SA20 2026 Team | Potential Trade Target Team (IPL) | Hint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholas Pooran | Lucknow Super Giants | MI Cape Town | Mumbai Indians | Signed by MI Cape Town, big trade rumours in IPL |
| Dewald Brevis | Mumbai Indians | Released by MI Cape Town | Chennai Super Kings | Rumoured target; already played for CSK in IPL 2025 |
| Jonny Bairstow | Mumbai Indians | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Moved from MI Cape Town; suggests potential swap |
| AM Ghazanfar | Mumbai Indians | Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Cross-franchise move from MI to SRH possible |
| Sikandar Raza | Not in IPL | Paarl Royals | Rajasthan Royals | RR could be interested in him across leagues |
| Corbin Bosch | Mumbai Indians | MI Cape Town | Mumbai Indians | Likely to be retained; seen in MI setups |
| Ryan Rickelton | Mumbai Indians | MI Cape Town | Mumbai Indians | Strong signs of IPL retention |
| Trent Boult | Rajasthan Royals | MI Cape Town | Mumbai Indians | MI likely to retain him in IPL too |
| Kagiso Rabada | Gujarat Titans | MI Cape Town | Mumbai Indians | MI potentially targeting him in IPL trade window |
| James Vince | Not in IPL | Joburg Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings | Possibly on CSK radar for IPL 2026 auction |
| Faf du Plessis | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Joburg Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings | Could return to CSK via trade |
| Donovan Ferreira | Delhi Capitals | Joburg Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings | Another potential CSK target from DC |
| Sherfane Rutherford | Gujarat Titans | Pretoria Capitals | Delhi Capitals | Delhi could be interested in acquiring him in IPL |
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The SA20 2026 auction will be held on September 9, 2025, with 72 of 102 available slots open across six franchises.
Each team can retain or pre-sign a maximum of six players before the auction — the lowest limit in the tournament’s history.
Aiden Markram (Sunrisers Eastern Cape) and Dewald Brevis (MI Cape Town) are among the biggest names heading to the auction pool.
The salary cap for SA20 2026 has been increased to Rand 41 million (approx. USD 2.31 million).
Each franchise can sign one wildcard player, either domestic or international, from the previous season before the auction, for a fee outside the purse.
No. SA20 starts on December 26, while ILT20 runs from December 2 to January 4. There’s minimal overlap this season.
Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Ryan Rickelton, Kagiso Rabada, George Linde, Corbin Bosch
Dewald Brevis
Nicholas Pooran
Tristan Stubbs
Aiden Markram (heading to auction)
Jonny Bairstow, AM Ghazanfar, Adam Milne
Marco Jansen
Faf du Plessis, Donovan Ferreira
James Vince, Akeal Hosein
Andre Russell, Will Jacks, Sherfane Rutherford
Lhuan-de-Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin
Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb ur Rahman
Noor Ahmad
Nicholas Pooran
Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler
Heinrich Klaasen
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