Eighteen-year-old Jason Rowles fetched a staggering R2.9 million at the Betway SA20 Season 5 player auction in Johannesburg on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, where four active franchises finalized their final squads for the upcoming tournament starting January 17, 2027.
On Wednesday in Johannesburg, the four remaining franchises completed their team rosters as the Betway SA20 Season 5 player auction delivered a compelling mix of seasoned global stars and promising young talent as the four remaining franchises finalised their squads. Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals completed their quotas prior to the event, leaving Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape to battle for the remaining 19 vacant slots across the league.
Jason Rowles Sparks Bidding War At Auction
The biggest buy of the night belonged to a teenager two decades younger than some of the league’s veteran headliners. Following an intense auction battle against MI Cape Town, was purchased by the Joburg Super Kings for R2.9 million St David’s Marist Inanda matric pupil Jason Rowles, aged 18. Rowles entered the auction with a base price of R200,000 before both franchises went hammer and tongs for his services.
In a remarkable coincidence on the evening of the auction, Rowles received the Cricketer of the Year Award and his Honours Blazer for Cricket at his school while his multi-million rand sale unfolded.
“Jason Rowles was the highlight of the day for me. Seeing an 18-year-old spark the biggest bidding battle of the day tells you how much the franchises believe in the next generation. It was only last year that he was participating in the Final of the rain Schools SA20 and today he will get to be a part of a squad consisting of some of the world’s best T20 stars. That’s the pathway we set out to build, and it’s hugely encouraging to see it working.”
Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner
Joburg Super Kings Sign Faf Du Plessis And Kieron Pollard
Joburg Super Kings entered the auction room with the largest remaining purse and put it to heavy use. Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis, who experienced a difficult 2025/26 campaign and was released ahead of the auction, returned to the men in yellow for R2.7 million after staving off competition from MI Cape Town. The 42-year-old veteran will head back to the Wanderers, where he has spent the past four seasons.
Joining Du Plessis at the Super Kings is West Indies superstar Kieron Pollard. Without facing any opposing bids, the 39-year-old veteran and men’s T20 cricket’s all-time leading run-scorer was secured by the Joburg Super Kings for R1.5 million, marking the first time he joins a Super Kings outfit outside of the wider Mumbai Indians setup. JSK also rounded out their acquisitions by adding Dayyaan Galiem for R375,000, Blessing Muzarabani for R500,000, and Andries Gous for R1 million.
MI Cape Town Invests In Wiaan Mulder And Trent Boult
MI Cape Town stayed aggressive in the high-stakes market, securing Proteas all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for R2.6 million after an intense tug-of-war with JSK. Mulder moves south following an indifferent season with JSK, where he managed 137 runs at 13.70 alongside nine wickets.
The franchise also spent R1.5 million to acquire West Indies power-hitter Shimron Hetmyer as their opening bidding choice, and brought back New Zealand left-arm seamer Trent Boult for R1.5 million to bolster their powerplay bowling attack. Daniel Smith, Lehan Botha, and 21-year-old Oliver Whitehead rounded out the remainder of MI Cape Town’s R200,000 rookie bracket picks.
Pretoria Capitals And Sunrisers Eastern Cape Fill Final Slots
Pretoria Capitals focused on filling remaining squad spots. After initially going unsold in the marquee round, Rassie van der Dussen will continue his journey with the Capitals for R500,000, adding stability to a batting unit looking to rebound after finishing as runners-up to Sunrisers Eastern Cape last season.
Proteas Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma joined the Pretoria Capitals for R200,000 for his third SA20 campaign, alongside Keemo Paul, Ackeem Auguste, and Josh Breed at identical R200,000 valuations. Sunrisers Eastern Cape utilized their remaining two slots to close their roster by adding Nandre Burger and England seamer Craig Overton for R1.5 million.
“It’s also really pleasing to see so many Proteas players being picked up today. A strong League and a strong national team go hand in hand, and today was a good example of that.”
Graeme Smith, SA20 league commissioner
St George’s Park in Gqeberha will stage the opening match of the competition’s fifth season on Sunday, January 17, 2027, featuring a rematch of the previous year’s final as Sunrisers Eastern Cape play host to the Pretoria Capitals.