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The SA20 teams have surprised everyone with some big and shocking decisions before the upcoming 2027 season. The biggest shock came from Joburg Super Kings, who released their captain, Faf du Plessis, before the upcoming SA20 2027.
On Wednesday, August 5, the SA20 confirmed that all six teams have confirmed their retained and pre-signed players for the next season, and the final squads will be completed in the Player Auction on October 7.
Only 19 places are available, as most teams have retained their core players for the next season which will get underway on January 17 at St George’s Park. Amid this, Ben Stokes' AUD 600K BBL deal leaves Australian cricketers angry.
Faf du Plessis and Kieron Pollard dropped as SA20 teams make bold calls
Following the announcement, Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town have the most work to do at the player auction. Both franchises need six more players, with one of them being an Under-23 player. Pretoria Capitals still need five players, while Sunrisers Eastern Cape have two spots remaining.
In a big shock, Joburg Super Kings have decided to part ways with Faf du Plessis, despite the South African superstar being one of the most important players for the franchise from the start of the South African T20 league. Joburg Super Kings also released Wiaan Mulder, Nandre Burger, and Daniel Worrall ahead of the SA20 2027.
MI Cape Town also made a surprising decision by releasing the legendary West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, ending his long association with the MI family in the league.
Trent Boult, Rassie van der Dussen among big releases
MI Cape Town also released Rassie van der Dussen and Trent Boult before the player auction later this year. On the other hand, Paarl Royals released Rovman Powell and Lasith Malinga, while Durban's Super Giants let go of Noor Ahmad and David Wiese.
Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape also released their big players like Jonny Bairstow, Shai Hope, and Jamie Overton before the SA20 2027. Amid this, SA20 2027 squads confirmed: Full team lists, new signings and auction slots available.
SA20 League Commissioner, Graeme Smith, stated: “The franchises head into the Auction with the majority of their squads already locked in, which speaks volumes about the stability and consistency we have built. This sets us up for a highly competitive Season 5.”
List of the released players by all franchises before SA20 2027:
Durban's Super Giants
Noor Ahmad, Dayyaan Galiem, Taijul Islam, Gysbert Wege (U23), David Wiese
Joburg Super Kings
Nandre Burger, Faf du Plessis, Richard Gleeson, Brandon King, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Wiaan Mulder, Michael Pepper, Shubham Ranjane, Steve Stolk (U23), Imran Tahir, Neil Timmers (U23), Reece Topley, Jorich van Schalkwyk (U23), Dan Worrall
MI Cape Town
Trent Boult, Karim Janat, Dan Lategan (U23), Tom Moores, Kieron Pollard, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jacques Snyman, Rassie van der Dussen
Paarl Royals
Okuhle Cele, Vishen Halambage, Eshan Malinga, Nqaba Peter, Rovman Powell, Waqar Salamkheil
Pretoria Capitals
Roston Chase, Jordan Cox, Junaid Dawood, Keith Dudgeon, Shai Hope, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Sibonelo Makhanya, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton, Meeka-eel Prince - U23, Will Smeed, Daniel Smith.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape
Jonny Bairstow, Aallah Ghazanfar, Beyers Swanepoel, Chris Wood.
Pre-signed players for SA20 2027:
Durban's Super Giants – Sam Curran
Joburg Super Kings – Jason Holder
MI Cape Town – Will Jacks
Paarl Royals – Azmatullah Omarzai and Joe Root
Pretoria Capitals – Phil Salt and Matthew Short
Sunrisers Eastern Cape – Mitchell Marsh and Rishad Hossain
