The auction for the SA20 is fast approaching and the tournament will witness some Indians players in it, who have reportedly expressed their desire to play the league. Last season, Dinesh Karthik became
the first Indian to play in the SA20 last season with Paarl Royals. He scored 97 runs in six innings, including a half-century. The BCCI’s stringent rules have reportedly shaped the Indian player’s eligibility for the SA20. The board prohibits active Indian cricketers and IPL-contracted players from participating in overseas T20 leagues, allowing only those who have fully retired from Indian cricket or relinquished their IPL aspirations to compete.
Now, in a significant development for South Africa’s premier franchise T20 league, 13 Indian cricketers, including IPL stalwart Piyush Chawla, have registered for the SA20 auction scheduled for September 9, 2025, in Johannesburg. The list, which also features former IPL players Siddarth Kaul and Ankit Rajpoot, is part of a massive pool of 784 players vying for a limited number of slots in the fourth season of the SA20, set to run from December 26, 2025, to January 25, 2026.
The auction, set to be held in Johannesburg, will also introduce a wildcard player rule, allowing each team to sign one additional player (South African or overseas) outside the salary cap, adding flexibility to squad-building.
Piyush Chawla set his reserve price at INR 50 lakh at SA20 auction: Reports
Piyush Chawla, a two-time World Cup winner and the joint third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 192 wickets, headlines the Indian contingent. The 36-year-old leg-spinner, who retired from all forms of cricket after the 2024 IPL season, has reportedly set his reserve price at 10,00,000 Rand (approximately INR 50 lakh). Chawla is a veteran of 35 international matches for India and a member of the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squads.
Joining Chawla are Siddarth Kaul and Ankit Rajpoot. Kaul, a 33-year-old fast bowler from Punjab, played six international matches for India and 55 IPL games, notably contributing to the 2008 U19 Cricket World Cup triumph where he was India’s joint-leading wicket-taker. Rajpoot featured in 29 IPL matches, primarily with Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Both players have reportedly set their base price at 200,000 Rand (approximately INR 10 lakh) each.
The remaining Indian registrants include Mahesh Ahir (Gujarat), Sarul Kanwar (Punjab), Anureet Singh Kathuria (Delhi), Nikhil Jaga (Rajasthan), Mohamed Faidh, KS Naveen (Tamil Nadu), Ansari Marouf, Imran Khan (UPCA), Venkatesh Galipelly, and Atul Yadav (UPCA). Imran Khan, with a base price of 500,000 Rand (approximately INR 25 lakh), is the only other Indian player with a reserve price above the standard 200,000 Rand set for the majority of the group.
The SA20 has reportedly attracted significant international talent, with 150 English and 40 Pakistani players also registering for the auction, alongside players like Ben Stokes, Joe Root, and Kane Williamson, who have been pre-signed or retained by franchises.
