Joburg Super Kings paid R2.9 million for 18-year-old allrounder Jason Rowles, the biggest buy of the SA20 auction, after outlasting MI Cape Town in a bidding war, while Kieron Pollard went to JSK for R1.5 million with no rival bid.
Joburg Super Kings signed Kieron Pollard and made 18-year-old allrounder Jason Rowles the biggest buy of the day at the SA20 Season 5 player mini-auction, ESPNcricinfo reported on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Four franchises were buying with 19 slots to fill, from a shortlist of 156 players (95 South African, 61 overseas).
| At a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Jason Rowles | JSK, R2.9 million, the biggest buy of the day, after a bidding war with MI Cape Town |
| Kieron Pollard | JSK, R1.5 million, no rival bid |
| Faf du Plessis | Re-signed by JSK for R2.7 million after a bidding war with MI Cape Town |
| MI Cape Town | Shimron Hetmyer (R1.5 million, the first purchase of the day), Trent Boult (R1.5 million), Wiaan Mulder (R2.6 million) |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Craig Overton (R1.5 million), Nandre Burger (R500k) |
| Pretoria Capitals | Rassie van der Dussen (R500k), Temba Bavuma (R200k, the last pick of the auction) |
The Rowles bidding war
Rowles, a former South Africa U19 captain, went to JSK for R2.9 million after a bidding war with MI Cape Town. He topped South Africa's U-19 World Cup run charts with 280 runs in five innings at an average of 70 and a strike rate of 112, and scored a Youth Test double-hundred at Hove in July.
SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith called it "the highlight of the day for me... Seeing an 18-year-old spark the biggest bidding battle of the day tells you how much the franchises believe in the next generation."
Legends land
JSK also won a bidding war with MI Cape Town to re-sign Faf du Plessis for R2.7 million, and added Pollard for R1.5 million with no rival bid. Wisden's full list shows JSK also picking up Dayyan Galiem (R375k), Blessing Muzarabani (R500k) and Andries Gous (R1 million).
MI Cape Town opened the day by buying Hetmyer for R1.5 million, brought back Boult for R1.5 million and signed Mulder for R2.6 million. Sunrisers Eastern Cape took Overton and Burger, and Pretoria Capitals added Van der Dussen and Bavuma. Paarl Royals and Durban's Super Giants sat out with full 19-player squads.
What happens next
SA20 Season 5 runs from 17 January to 21 February 2027, with the opener in Gqeberha and the final in Cape Town. The opener is a rematch of the 2026 final between Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals.
Read the full story on ESPNcricinfo. ESPNcricinfo.
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