SA20 2026 Squad Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Auction Mistakes, Best XI

The SA20 promises to live up to its reputation as the second best T20 league in the world.

A fresh season of SA20 is set to begin on Friday (December 26). With it replacing the perennial Boxing Day Test, there’s displeasure from certain quarters, but there’s no denying that the SA20 has managed to capture the attention of South Africa and global fans since its inception. Apart from most local players available for the tournament, several new overseas stars will feature for the first time. A few of them were pre-signed, while some were sold at the auction.

The SA20 2026 auction saw numerous players earn huge sums of money. There were also some budget picks, while a few seemed overpriced. Some teams spent a large chunk of their purse on one player, as is often the case in the auction, while a few adopted a balanced approach.

We do a detailed analysis of each team ahead of SA20 2026.

Joburg Super Kings

Joburg Super Kings (JSK) went into the auction with a purse of R21.5 million. Their main aim was to get Dewald Brevis and fill other spots with moderate options. That didn’t happen, as Pretoria Capitals acquired him for a big sum, and JSK had to search for different players.

Their squad looks decent, but the selection of some players looked inadequate. Before the auction, they had five quality options, but the team failed to fill the other spots with enough solid buys. Hence, JSK will need to settle with a few middling players.

Full Joburg Super Kings squad

Faf du Plessis, Donovan Ferreira, James Vince, Akeal Hosein, Richard Gleeson, Wiaan Mulder, Nandre Burger, Prenalen Subrayen, Dian Forrester, Steve Stolk, Janco Smit, Neil Timmers, Shubham Ranjane, Rilee Rossouw, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Imran Tahir, Reece Topley, Jarren Bacher*, Duan Jansen*, Matthew de Villiers, Jorich van Schalkwyk*

*Temporary Replacements

Strongest playing XI

Faf du Plessis, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Steve Stolk, Wiaan Mulder, Donovan Ferreira (wk), Akeal Hosein, Nandre Burger, Daniel Worrall, Richard Gleeson, Imran Tahir

Strengths:

Joburg Super Kings have two of the most experienced top-three. All have played ample T20 cricket and understand how to adapt to different conditions.
In Donovan Ferreira, JSK get among the finest power hitters in the competition.
They have one of the strongest new-ball bowling pairs in Nandre Burger and Daniel Worrall. Both can move the ball upfront and bring early wickets, making them suitable for the conditions in Johannesburg.

They also have a solid enforcer in Richard Gleeson, who can bowl hard lengths at high pace in the middle overs.
JSK have ample experience in the spin department, with a variety.
Bowling options galore, with as many as six solid bowlers in the strongest XI.

Weaknesses:

While JSK have an experienced top three, all of them are ageing, with signs of regression clearly visible, especially Vince and Rossouw. They are hit-or-miss at the moment.
Their batting unit is one-dimensional, with Rossouw being the sole LHB.
JSK lack a genuine spin-hitter in the middle order. Stolk is still raw, and his spin-hitting abilities are unknown.

JSK might be one batter short and heavily reliant on Akeal’s batting. While he has improved as a batter, over-dependency can be problematic.
Their backups are not as experienced. Hence, JSK might be short on quality in case of an injury.

MI Cape Town

MI Cape Town (MICT) roped in as many as seven players before the SA20 2026 auction. They aimed to maintain the core. They did quite well to achieve so and formed a solid base.

During the auction, MICT had the lowest purse but still managed to get some quality players. They could have gone for another quality middle-order batter, but the squad still looks promising. Overall, they would be satisfied with how the auction panned out for them and will again go as contenders next season.

Full MI Cape Town squad

Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, Ryan Rickleton, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Nicholas Pooran, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Dwaine Pretorius, Tristan Luus, Jason Smith, Tom Moores, Dane Piedt, Tian van Vuuren, Dan Lategan, Karim Janat, Jacques Snyman, Thomas Kaber

Strongest playing XI

Rassie van der Dussen, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Reeza Hendricks, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Luus, Trent Boult

Strengths:

MI Cape Town have among the finest top-three in the competition. They are all proven performers.
MICT possess variety and depth in the batting unit. With Rashid at No.8, they have ample firepower.

They have pace-hitters at the top and bottom and one of the best spin-hitters in Pooran.
They have a solid pace attack, with Rabada and Boult possessing ample experience. Luus and Bosch are other options to rotate with.
Linde is among the most accurate finger spinners in the country, while Rashid brings a massive threat. They form a solid spin attack that can also contribute with the bat.

Weaknesses:

MICT must use Pooran at No.3 to maximise his true value. That means No.4 and No.5 are slightly weak, with Hendricks forced to bat out of position. Even Smith doesn’t boast of a fine T20 record.

Due to a vulnerable middle order, MICT might be over-reliant on the lower order. While they should manage most often, teams with better attacks can contain them. That can also put more pressure on the top three.
Rashid Khan’s recent form has been inconsistent. While he still remains a massive weapon, his value can be reduced on non-spin-friendly decks.

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Durban’s Super Giants

If there’s any team to look out for in SA20 2026, it’s Durban’s Super Giants. They made quality pre-season signings and filled other spots with useful players. If Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen hogged the limelight before the auction, the acquisition of Aiden Markram and Gerald Coetzee became a major talking point during the event.

Overall, their squad looks promising. They have match-winners in each department. Surely, DSG will go into the tournament as one of the favourites in SA20 2026.

Full Durban’s Super Giants squad

Noor Ahmad, Heinrich Klaasen, Sunil Narine, Jos Buttler, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Devon Conway, Gerald Coetzee, David Bedingham, Marques Ackermann, Eathan Bosch, Andile Simelane, Tony de Zorzi, Dayyaan Galiem, Gysbert Wege, Evan Jones, Gysbert Wege, David Wiese, Daryn Dupavillon

Strongest playing XI

Aiden Markram, Devon Conway, Jos Buttler (wk), David Bedingham, Heinrich Klaasen, Evan Jones, Sunil Narine, Gerald Coetzee, Eathan Bosch, Kwena Maphaka, Noor Ahmad

Strengths:

Durban’s Super Giants have a solid batting unit, with most bases covered. They have an experienced top-three, with ample experience playing in South African conditions.

In Heinrich Klaasen, DSG have one of the best T20 batters. He can be flexible with his batting position.
DSG have the best spin attack in the competition. Narine and Noor are among the finest spinners in world cricket who hold runs and take wickets simultaneously.
Kwena Maphaka fits nicely as a new-ball bowler. His improved death-over bowling provides more dimension to the bowling attack.
Gerald Coetzee can act as an enforcer in the middle order. His bowling will be suited in Durban.

Weaknesses:

DSG might have liked another solid batter in the lineup. In the current scenario, they should prefer an extra speedster to strengthen their bowling, but that would shorten their batting lineup.
Conway and Klaasen have not been in great form. If they don’t fire, DSG will be under massive pressure since they are already a batter short.
Coetzee has lately been expensive and injury-prone. If he doesn’t play or perform, DSG might struggle to employ pacers in the middle overs.
Death-over bowling can be an issue. Bosch and Coetzee have been mediocre, while Maphaka is still inexperienced.

Pretoria Capitals

Dewald Brevis was on their radar, and Pretoria Capitals (PC) bought him for a whopping sum. However, they had to settle for several middling options otherwise. The reason was spending more on one player and leaving only a few for others.

Hence, they have a few loopholes in their squad. Still, PC might be pleased with their overall SA20 2026 auction performance. There were also three quality pre-season signings.

Full Pretoria Capitals squad

Andre Russell, Jordan Cox, Sherfane Rutherford, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Dewald Brevis, Lizaad Williams, Roston Chase, Codi Yusuf, Connor Esterhuizen, Bryce Parsons, Gideon Peters, Junaid Dawood, Will Smeed, Meeka-eel Prince, Wihan Lubbe, Sibonelo Makhanya, Daniel Smith*, Keith Dudgeon*, Shai Hope, Tymal Mills

*Temporary Replacements

Strongest playing XI

Will Jacks, Will Smeed, Bryce Parsons, Dewald Brevis, Connor Esterhuizen (wk), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Gideon Peters

Strengths:

Pretoria Capitals have an explosive top-three. Jacks and Smeed are among the quickest scorers, while Parsons is on an upward curve.
In Rutherford and Russell, PC have two solid pace hitters. Rutherford can also counter left-arm spin and provide some bowling value.
There’s ample depth in the batting unit. They should play Smeed to prolong their batting unit.
There are enough pacers to rotate for the Capitals. Their new-ball bowling is set, while Russell provides enough value in the middle and death overs.

Weaknesses:

Pretoria Capitals can’t afford any of the main batters to fail. Their options are limited.
Andre Russell has been mighty inconsistent with the bat this year. If he doesn’t fire, the lower order can be vulnerable.

Pretoria Capitals lack a genuine wrist spinner in their squad. While Maharaj and Jacks offer accurate bowling, they still lack an experienced bowler who can bring wickets.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape

Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) had to allow Aiden Markram to go. They still formed a quality lineup to compete. Their pre-season signings were perplexing, but they did a decent job of getting useful players.

Their base was decent, and while they had to break the original combination, SEC would be pleased with their SA20 2026 auction picks. There is experience and explosiveness. Another specialist batter would have strengthened them more, and they spent more on the wrong bowlers.

Full Sunrisers Eastern Cape squad

Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Jonny Bairstow, Allah Ghazanfar, Adam Milne, Quinton de Kock, Matthew Breetzke, Anrich Nortje, Senuran Muthusamy, Patrick Kruger, Lutho Sipamla, Mitchell van Buuren, Jordan Hermann, Beyers Swanepoel, James Coles, Chris Wood, Lewis Gregory, CJ King, JP King, Tharindu Rathnayake*

*Temporary Replacement

Strongest playing XI

Quinton de Kock (wk), Matthew Breetzke, Jonny Bairstow, Jordan Hermann, Tristan Stubbs, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthuswamy, Allah Ghazanfar, Anrich Nortje, Adam Milne

Strengths:

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have an explosive top three. All of them are capable of going hard from the first ball and can bat at high strike rates.
SEC have a nice blend of LHB-RHB in the batting department.
On paper, SEC have most bases covered in the bowling department. SEC have ample bowling options in their strongest XI.
In Allah Ghazanfar, SEC have a solid wicket-taker who can be mighty effective on Gqeberha’s decks. He can wreak havoc in home matches.

Weaknesses:

Sunrisers Eastern Cape have two inconsistent top-order batters in Quinton and Bairstow. They can be hit-or-miss and are not bankable.
SEC lack a genuine spin-hitter in the middle. While Bairstow was terrific at his peak, he doesn’t boast the same power anymore.

SEC might be too reliant on all-rounders in the batting department. With Kruger at No.6, they would have ideally wanted at least one more batter.
SEC’s pace attack can be vulnerable. Nortje and Milne have been expensive and injury-prone in recent times.

Paarl Royals

Paarl Royals (PR) showed perplexing dynamics with their auction strategy. They made interesting pre-season signings and had a limited budget. Hence, PR had to settle for several average options and numerous loopholes.

They might be the weakest teams in the competition. PR also panicked in the auction at times. It will be interesting to see whether they can maximise their stronger suits to balance.

Full Paarl Royals squad

Lhuan-dre Pretorius, David Miller, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ottneil Baartman, Gudakesh Motie, Delano Potgieter, Kyle Verreynne, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Asa Tribe, Hardus Viljoen, Dan Lawrence, Eshan Malinga, Nqobani Mokoena, Vishen Halambage, Nqaba Peter, Okhule Cele, Thomas Rew*

* Temporary Replacements

Strongest playing XI

Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Rubin Hermann (wk), Dan Lawrence, Kyle Verreynne, David Miller, Sikandar Raza, Delano Potgieter, Bjorn Fortuin, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Ottneil Baartman, Eshan Malinga

Strengths:

Paarl Royals have one of the best local talents in the squad.
Paarl Royals have a strong opening pair who can be explosive from the top and provide rapid starts.
Paarl Royals have a strong spin attack. Their spinners are suited for the conditions in Paarl.

PR have a nice blend of LHB-RHB throughout the batting unit.

Weaknesses:

Paarl Royals have a shaky middle order. Dan Lawrence has been inconsistent, while David Miller’s recent form has been hot and cold.
PR would have liked a solid spin-hitter in the middle. Currently, they lack one good option, and slow surfaces at home can make the job arduous for their batters since most of them thrive against pace.
Dan Lawrence has done well against spinners this year. But his effectiveness has come down in the UAE, where spinners have more assistance, and he might be in trouble in Paarl as well.

PR have one of the weakest pace attacks. While Baartman and Malinga are quality options, the team would have liked another solid pacer from the South African department.

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