When will SA20 2026 Begin? Know All Details About Schedule, Squads & Auction

The SA20 league is set for its biggest changes yet in 2026. The 2026 season promises to be bigger and better. With a new auction format, updated rules, and an earlier start date, fans can expect thrilling cricket action. The upcoming SA20 2026 season will begin on Boxing Day, which is December 26, 2025.

This is earlier than usual. The change comes because South Africa will not host any home Test matches during the 2025-26 summer. Also, many stadiums are being renovated ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup. South Africa has some of the most beautiful stadiums in the world. The SA20 2026 season will end on January 26, 2026. From 2027 onwards, the league will return to its regular January to mid-February window. The future seasons will also see a slightly longer schedule.

All You Want To Know About SA20 2026 Auction

The SA20 has become one of the biggest cricket teams in the world. The auction will take place on September 9, 2025. It will be the most important auction in the league’s history. A big 63% of the player pool will be available in the auction. Each of the six franchises will be allowed to retain only six players from their current squads. This is fewer than in previous seasons. Out of the six retained players, three can be South African and three can be overseas.

In total, there are 108 player slots across the six teams. Out of these, 72 players will be picked during the auction. Several new rules have been added for the 2026 season. One major change is the increase in the salary cap. Teams can now spend up to R41 million (around US$2.31 million). This is more than the previous limit of R39.1 million (US$2.2 million). With this rise, SA20 becomes the second-highest-paying T20 league in the world, just behind the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Another important change is the introduction of RTM (Right to Match) cards. These allow teams to retain a player from Season 3 by matching the highest auction bid for that player. The number of RTM cards a team can use will depend on how many South African players they retained before the auction. The rookie draft has also been removed. In its place, teams must now sign at least two players under the age of 23 as part of their squad.

Despite the changes, many key rules will remain the same. Each team must have at least 11 South African players in their squad. Teams can sign up to seven overseas players.

Each team can also pick one wildcard player. The salary of the wildcard player will not be counted under the salary cap. Also, the number of teams and format remain unchanged. The league will still have six teams. A total of 34 matches will be played across the season, just like previous editions.

SA20 2026 Schedule

The official SA20 2026 schedule has been announced. The tournament is set to begin on December 26, 2026, which is also Boxing Day. Defending champions MI Cape Town are going to play the opening match of the season against Durban's Super Giants in Newlands. The tournament is scheduled over a month, with the Qualifier 1 being scheduled on 21st January, 2026, and the Final will be played on January 25, 2026, in Cape Town.

SA20 2026 Teams and Squads

The participating SA20 2026 teams are Durban's Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape. All six SA20 franchises are owned by IPL franchise groups. This has helped the league grow quickly and attract big-name players from around the world. With the changes in 2026, the SA20 is expected to be even more competitive and exciting for fans. Ahead of the big auction, the SA20 2026 squads have not been finalised yet. However, they will be finalised in the auction, which will take place on September 9, 2025.