Kavya Maran's Sunrisers suffer massive blow as captain leaves the team

South African batter Aiden Markram has made a surprising call ahead of the upcoming SA20 2026 season by deciding to leave Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the team he led to two titles. The experienced South African batter has opted to enter the player auction, which is set to take place on September 9.

Aiden Markram enjoyed success as captain of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, guiding the team to back-to-back SA20 titles in 2023 and 2024. He led the team to the final in the 2025 season, finishing as runners-up. Markram also ended the 2025 campaign as the third-highest run-scorer in the T20 tournament.

Aiden Markram Parts Ways with Sunrisers Eastern Cape Ahead of SA20 2026 Auction

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, Aiden Markram informed Sunrisers Eastern Cape that he will not be part of their retention list for the SA20 2026 season. He will enter the player auction on September 9.

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"ESPNcricinfo has learned that Markram told the franchise he wanted to head to the auction which will be held on September 9," the report read.

The 30-year-old conveyed his decision to the team’s management, led by Kavya Maran, ahead of the official retention announcement on July 23. However, the franchise still holds the right-to-match (RTM) card, giving them the option to re-sign him during the auction by matching the highest bid.

"Sunrisers, though, will have the option to use the right-to-match-card in case they want to buy Markram back."

Aiden Markram's Decision to Enter the SA20 2026 Auction Sparks Interest

Aiden Markram, who previously captained Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, was released ahead of the 2025 mega auction and was later signed by Lucknow Super Giants. His decision to enter the SA20 2026 auction has generated interest among cricket fans.

The upcoming auction is the largest since SA20's launch in 2022, with 72 of the 102 total squad spots available across six franchises. Notably, the salary cap has been increased to R41 million (approximately USD 2.31 million).

This gives teams greater financial flexibility to target top-tier talent. It’s also worth mentioning that with SA20 2026 set to begin on December 26 and minimal overlap with the ILT20, a wider pool of players is expected to be available.

Franchises Announce Retentions and Pre-Signings Ahead of Auction

Ahead of the SA20 2026 season, the six franchises have announced their retention and pre-signing decisions. MI Cape Town have retained Trent Boult, Rashid Khan, and Kagiso Rabada, and have secured Nicholas Pooran as a pre-signed addition.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape retained Tristan Stubbs, added Jonny Bairstow and Adam Milne, and selected Marco Jansen as their wildcard pick. Johannesburg Super Kings retained Faf du Plessis and Donovan Ferreira while bringing in James Vince and Akeal Hosein.

Pretoria Capitals pre-signed Andre Russell, Will Jacks, and Sherfane Rutherford. Paarl Royals retained David Miller and signed Sikandar Raza and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Durban Super Giants retained Noor Ahmad, picked Heinrich Klaasen as their wildcard, and pre-signed Sunil Narine and Jos Buttler.

Also read: Karun Nair axed again from Team India