Latest news with #StephanCook


India.com
2 days ago
- Business
- India.com
SA20 Season 4: Franchises Allowed To Retain Six Players Before Auction; Check All Details
All the big names and rising stars set to headline Season 4 of SA20 will be confirmed at the fourth annual player auction, which will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. The event promises to bring a few changes amongst the squads, and high-stakes bidding with a minimum of 72 player slots available for auction. The squad composition of the teams remains the same, with the league continuing to prioritise opportunities for local talent on a global platform. Of the 18 players in the regular squad, teams can secure a maximum of seven overseas players and a minimum of 11 South African players. Season 4 will again see teams being able to sign one Wildcard player to each squad. The Wildcard player can be a South African or overseas player, and their league fee falls outside of the salary cap. Before the auction, the franchises are permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players, comprising a maximum of three overseas players and three South African players. This year features the largest salary cap in the history of the competition, a sizeable R41 million in the purse for each of the six franchises to make up their squads. The salary cap has steadily increased over the years from R34 million in Season 1, making it the highest franchise T20 league salary cap outside of India. In a SA20 first, a significant strategic innovation has been added to the Season 4 auction with the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) Cards. A Right-to-Match Card allows a franchise the opportunity to match a winning auction bid on a player who played for that team in Season 3 and retain his services for Season 4. Each team will have a limited number of RTM cards to use, depending on the number of South African pre-auction player retentions they use. Stephan Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, SA20, said, 'The SA20 Season 4 player auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players, and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years, and the upcoming auction should see plenty more.' The league's commitment to the development of young talent in South Africa remains steadfast. There will no longer be a Rookie Draft; instead, teams must sign a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads. The ever-popular Richard Madley, who has fast become synonymous with the SA20 auction, will once again wield his gavel to control proceedings. The auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube Channel with rolling coverage across all of the League's social media platforms. The auction marks the first major milestone ahead of the anticipated fourth season, which, this year, will be played in a 'festive season' slot starting on December 26.


Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
SA20 Season 4: At least 72 slots up for grabs in player auction on September 9
Johannesburg: All the big names and rising stars set to headline Season 4 of SA20 will be confirmed at the fourth annual player auction, which will take place in Johannesburg on September 9. The event promises to bring a few changes amongst the squads, and high-stakes bidding with a minimum of 72 player slots available for auction. The squad composition of the teams remains the same, with the league continuing to prioritise opportunities for local talent on a global platform. Of the 18 players in the regular squad, teams can secure a maximum of seven overseas players and a minimum of 11 South African players. Season 4 will again see teams being able to sign one Wildcard player to each squad. The Wildcard player can be a South African or overseas player, and their league fee falls outside of the salary cap. Before the auction, the franchises are permitted no more than six retentions or pre-signed players, comprising a maximum of three overseas players and three South African players. This year features the largest salary cap in the history of the competition, a sizeable R41 million in the purse for each of the six franchises to make up their squads. The salary cap has steadily increased over the years from R34 million in Season 1, making it the highest franchise T20 league salary cap outside of India. In a SA20 first, a significant strategic innovation has been added to the Season 4 auction with the introduction of the Right to Match (RTM) Cards. A Right-to-Match Card allows a franchise the opportunity to match a winning auction bid on a player who played for that team in Season 3 and retain his services for Season 4. Each team will have a limited number of RTM cards to use, depending on the number of South African pre-auction player retentions they use. Stephan Cook, Head of Cricket Operations, SA20, said, 'The SA20 Season 4 player auction is setting up to be the most exciting yet, with about 60% of player slots available for franchises to fill. Mechanisms such as RTM cards, Wildcard players, and an increased salary cap are sure to create interesting situations for teams and will allow them to strategically select their squads. We have seen some life-changing transactions already in the past few years, and the upcoming auction should see plenty more.' The league's commitment to the development of young talent in South Africa remains steadfast. There will no longer be a Rookie Draft; instead, teams must sign a minimum of two Under-23 players in their final 19-player squads. The ever-popular Richard Madley, who has fast become synonymous with the SA20 auction, will once again wield his gavel to control proceedings. The auction will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube Channel with rolling coverage across all of the League's social media platforms. The auction marks the first major milestone ahead of the anticipated fourth season, which, this year, will be played in a 'festive season' slot starting on December 26.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
72 Player slots available in Betway SA20 season 4 auction in Johannesburg
With at least 72 spots available across all teams, this year's auction promises excitement, surprises, and strategic bidding as franchises aim to build their strongest line-ups yet. Shashwat Nishant New Delhi The much-anticipated player auction for Season 4 of the Betway SA20 is set to take place on Tuesday, 9 September, in Johannesburg. With at least 72 spots available across all teams, this year's auction promises excitement, surprises, and strategic bidding as franchises aim to build their strongest line-ups yet. The team structure remains consistent, with each squad consisting of 18 players. Of these, franchises are permitted to include up to seven international players and a minimum of 11 South African talents, continuing the League's commitment to showcasing local players on an international stage. Each team will also be able to add a Wildcard player to their squad, either South African or international, whose fee does not fall under the main salary cap. Prior to the auction, teams are allowed to retain or pre-sign up to six players: a maximum of three locals and three overseas stars. This season brings with it the highest salary cap in the history of the SA20, a massive R41 million per franchise. That's a significant rise from the R34 million cap in the league's inaugural season, further solidifying SA20's position as the most lucrative T20 league outside India. A key innovation in Season 4 is the introduction of Right to Match (RTM) Cards. This new feature gives teams the ability to retain a player from their Season 3 roster by matching the highest bid placed by another team during the auction. The number of RTM cards each franchise can use will depend on how many local players they have retained ahead of the auction. Stephan Cook, SA20's Head of Cricket Operations, emphasized the importance of this year's auction: "With 60% of all player slots available, the auction is shaping up to be our most dynamic yet. Features like RTM cards and Wildcard signings, combined with an increased salary cap, will allow teams to approach squad building with even more strategy and creativity." In a further push for youth development, the league has scrapped the Rookie Draft. Instead, each team must include a minimum of two players under the age of 23 in their final 19-man squad. The auction will once again be hosted by the charismatic Richard Madley and will be broadcast live on SuperSport and the SA20 YouTube channel, with real-time updates across all SA20 social media platforms. This auction kicks off the road to Season 4, which is set to begin on 26 December 2025, during the festive season.