Thirteen Indian players including World Cup-winner Piyush Chawla have registered for the upcoming SA20 Auction. A total of 784 players have registered for the upcoming SA20 auction, which is scheduled for September 9. The fourth season of the tournament will take place from December 26, 2025, to January 25, 2026. This earlier start date is due to the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka between February and March 2026.
Piyush Chawla registers for SA20 auction
Indian players have thrown their names into the ring for the auction, including well-known names like Piyush Chawla, Siddhart Kaul, and Ankit Rajpoot. Their inclusion in the auction pool, alongside hundreds of other international and local players, adds an interesting dynamic to the league as franchises look to finalize their 19-player squads.
Piyush Chawla, the joint third-leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 192 wickets, has registered for the SA20 auction. A member of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup-winning Indian squad, Chawla has a reserve price of 1,000,000 Rand. He is joined by former Indian teammates Siddarth Kaul, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the 2008 U-19 World Cup, and Ankit Rajpoot.
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In addition to these three, ten other Indian players have also registered for the auction: Mahesh Ahir, Sarul Kanwar, Anureet Singh Kathuria, Nikhil Jaga, Mohamed Faidh, KS Naveen, Ansari Marouf, Imran Khan, Venkatesh Galipelly, and Atul Yadav. Of this group, Imran Khan has a reserve price of 500,000 Rand, while the other eleven players are all listed with a base value of 200,000 Rand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has strict regulations, allowing only retired or inactive national and IPL players to participate in overseas franchise leagues. Active players are, however, permitted to join English County Championships and one-day cricket with the board's consent.
Only one Indian player, Dinesh Karthik, has ever participated in the SA20 league. He represented the Paarl Royals last season after retiring from all forms of cricket, including the IPL. This season's registration includes 40 Pakistani players, with notable names like Azam Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub. Interestingly, no Pakistani players have ever been part of the league's first three seasons, despite all six franchises being owned by Indian businessmen who also own IPL teams.
Over 150 players from England have also registered, including well-known international cricketers such as Jason Roy and Alex Hales. The auction will feature a number of prominent South African players, including World Test Championship final heroes Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Wiaan Mulder, and Keshav Maharaj. Young talents Dewald Brevis and Kwena Maphaka are also available, alongside T20 specialists Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi.