The SA20 2027 teams are set for the fifth season, which runs from 17 January to 21 February 2027. Six franchises, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Pretoria Capitals, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals and Durban’s Super Giants, each carry 19 players across 34 matches, with the final at Newlands in Cape Town.
Defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape open against Pretoria Capitals at St George’s Park. Here are all six squads, captains, wildcards and key players.
SA20 2027 at a Glance
The SA20 is South Africa’s franchise T20 league, run by Cricket South Africa and played every January and February. The 2027 edition follows the auction held on 7 October 2026, which completed every squad.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Season | Fifth edition (SA20 2027) |
| Start date | 17 January 2027 |
| League stage | 17 January to 14 February (30 matches) |
| Playoffs | 16 to 21 February (4 matches) |
| Final | 21 February 2027, Newlands, Cape Town |
| Total matches | 34 |
| Teams | 6 |
| Format | Twenty20, double round-robin followed by playoffs |
| Defending champions | Sunrisers Eastern Cape |
| Opening match | Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Pretoria Capitals, St George’s Park, Gqeberha |
The opener is a rematch of last season’s final.
SA20 2027 Teams List
Here are the six SA20 Season 5 2027 teams, with their captain, home ground and IPL sister franchise.
| Team | Captain | Home Ground | IPL Sister Franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Aiden Markram | Kingsmead, Durban | Lucknow Super Giants |
| Joburg Super Kings | Not confirmed | Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg | Chennai Super Kings |
| MI Cape Town | Rashid Khan | Newlands, Cape Town | Mumbai Indians |
| Paarl Royals | David Miller | Boland Park, Paarl | Rajasthan Royals |
| Pretoria Capitals | Keshav Maharaj | SuperSport Park, Centurion | Delhi Capitals |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Tristan Stubbs | St George’s Park, Gqeberha | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
Faf du Plessis captained Joburg Super Kings before, but he stepped down. He returned to the franchise at the auction as a player, and no new captain had been named at the time of writing.
SA20 2027 Squad Rules: Overseas Limit, Wildcard and Under-23 Slots
Every SA20 2027 squad follows the same rules. These explain why each squad looks the way it does.
- 19 players per squad: 18 squad players plus one Wildcard
- The Wildcard sits outside the salary cap
- A maximum of 7 overseas players
- A minimum of 11 South African players
- At least two Under-23 South African players in every squad
- Each team had a purse of R42 million for the 2027 season
SA20 2027 Squad Composition by Team
The table below splits each squad by role, using the groups on the official squad pages.
| Team | Batters | All-rounders | Wicketkeepers | Bowlers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 19 |
| Joburg Super Kings | 5 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 19 |
| MI Cape Town | 3 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
| Paarl Royals | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 19 |
| Pretoria Capitals | 6 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 19 |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | 2 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
Sunrisers Eastern Cape and the two Cape and Johannesburg sides lean heavily on all-rounders. Durban’s Super Giants carry the biggest bowling group.
1. Durban’s Super Giants Squad 2027
Durban’s Super Giants fill every slot with a stacked group of overseas batters. They did not attend the auction because their squad was already complete.
- Batters: Marques Ackerman, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Kane Williamson
- Batting all-rounders: Liam Livingstone, Kyle Simmonds
- Bowling all-rounders: Sam Curran, Sunil Narine
- Wicketkeepers: David Bedingham, Jos Buttler, Devon Conway, Heinrich Klaasen
- Bowlers: Evan Jones, Andile Simelane, Eathan Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Daryn Dupavillon, Simon Harmer, Kwena Maphaka
- Heinrich Klaasen is the Wildcard. Andile Simelane and Kwena Maphaka are the Under-23 picks.
2. Joburg Super Kings Squad 2027
Joburg Super Kings were the biggest spenders at the auction. They signed Jason Rowles, Faf du Plessis, Kieron Pollard, Andries Gous, Blessing Muzarabani and Dayyaan Galiem.
- Batters: Matthew de Villiers, Leus du Plooy, James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Faf du Plessis
- Batting all-rounders: Jarren Bacher, Dian Forrester, Kieron Pollard
- Bowling all-rounders: Jason Holder, Prenelan Subrayen, Jason Rowles, Dayyaan Galiem, Jamie Overton
- Wicketkeepers: Donovan Ferreira, Andries Gous
- Bowlers: Akeal Hosein, Janco Smit, Duan Jansen, Blessing Muzarabani
- Jamie Overton is the Wildcard. Jarren Bacher and Jason Rowles are the Under-23 picks.
3. MI Cape Town Squad 2027
MI Cape Town add Wiaan Mulder, Trent Boult and Shimron Hetmyer to a squad built around Rashid Khan and Nicholas Pooran. Kagiso Rabada is the Wildcard.
- Batters: Reeza Hendricks, Jason Smith, Shimron Hetmyer
- Batting all-rounders: Will Jacks, George Linde, Thomas Kaber, Oliver Whitehead
- Bowling all-rounders: Corbin Bosch, Rashid Khan, Tiaan van Vuuren, Wiaan Mulder
- Wicketkeepers: Nicholas Pooran, Ryan Rickelton, Daniel Smith
- Bowlers: Tristan Luus, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Lehan Botha, Trent Boult
- Tristan Luus and Oliver Whitehead are the Under-23 picks.
4. Paarl Royals Squad 2027
Paarl Royals have a deep wicketkeeping group of five and one of the biggest names in world cricket as their Wildcard. They also did not attend the auction.
- Batters: David Miller, Joe Root, Asa Tribe
- Batting all-rounders: Dan Lawrence, Delano Potgieter, JJ Basson, Sikandar Raza
- Bowling all-rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai
- Wicketkeepers: Rubin Hermann, Keagan Lion-Cachet, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Thomas Rew, Kyle Verreynne
- Bowlers: Ottneil Baartman, Bjorn Fortuin, Gudakesh Motie, Nqobani Mokoena, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Hardus Viljoen
- Joe Root is the Wildcard. JJ Basson and Lhuan-dre Pretorius are the Under-23 picks.
5. Pretoria Capitals Squad 2027
Pretoria Capitals filled five slots on the smallest purse at the auction. Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Keemo Paul, Ackeem Auguste and Josh Breed all arrived at or near base price.
- Batters: Dewald Brevis, Matthew Short, Bayanda Majola, Rassie van der Dussen, Ackeem Auguste, Temba Bavuma
- Batting all-rounders: Sherfane Rutherford, Wihan Lubbe, Bryce Parsons
- Bowling all-rounders: Codi Yusuf, Andre Russell, Keemo Paul
- Wicketkeepers: Connor Esterhuizen, Phil Salt
- Bowlers: Keshav Maharaj, Gideon Peters, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Josh Breed
- Andre Russell is the Wildcard. Dewald Brevis and Bayanda Majola are the Under-23 picks.
6. Sunrisers Eastern Cape Squad 2027
The defending champions needed only two players at the auction and chose Craig Overton and Nandre Burger. Their core is largely unchanged from last season.
- Batters: Jordan Hermann, Mitchell van Buuren
- Batting all-rounders: Mitchell Marsh, James Coles, Senuran Muthusamy
- Bowling all-rounders: Lewis Gregory, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, CJ King, JP King, Craig Overton
- Wicketkeepers: Matthew Breetzke, Quinton de Kock, Tristan Stubbs
- Bowlers: Rishad Hossain, Adam Milne, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Nandre Burger
- Marco Jansen is the Wildcard. CJ King and JP King are the Under-23 picks.
SA20 2027 Wildcard Players
Wildcards sit outside the salary cap, so franchises use them to add star power at no cost to the purse.
| Team | Wildcard | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Heinrich Klaasen | South Africa |
| Joburg Super Kings | Jamie Overton | England |
| MI Cape Town | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa |
| Paarl Royals | Joe Root | England |
| Pretoria Capitals | Andre Russell | West Indies |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Marco Jansen | South Africa |
SA20 2027 Overseas Players by Team
Overseas players are capped at seven per squad. The counts below exclude Wildcards.
| Team | Overseas Players | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Jos Buttler, Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Sunil Narine | 6 |
| Joburg Super Kings | Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, James Vince, Blessing Muzarabani, Kieron Pollard, Andries Gous | 6 |
| MI Cape Town | Will Jacks, Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Trent Boult, Shimron Hetmyer | 5 |
| Paarl Royals | Sikandar Raza, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gudakesh Motie, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Thomas Rew, Asa Tribe, Dan Lawrence | 7 |
| Pretoria Capitals | Sherfane Rutherford, Phil Salt, Matthew Short, Keemo Paul, Ackeem Auguste | 5 |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Mitchell Marsh, Rishad Hossain, James Coles, Lewis Gregory, Adam Milne, Craig Overton | 6 |
Paarl Royals use all seven overseas slots. MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals have two spare.
SA20 2027 Under-23 Players by Team
Each squad must include at least two Under-23 South African players. These picks often shape how the auction plays out.
| Team | Under-23 Players |
|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Andile Simelane, Kwena Maphaka |
| Joburg Super Kings | Jarren Bacher, Jason Rowles |
| MI Cape Town | Tristan Luus, Oliver Whitehead |
| Paarl Royals | JJ Basson, Lhuan-dre Pretorius |
| Pretoria Capitals | Dewald Brevis, Bayanda Majola |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | CJ King, JP King |
SA20 2027 Auction Buys by Team
The auction on 7 October 2026 added 19 players across four franchises. Paarl Royals and Durban’s Super Giants were already full.
| Team | Auction Signings (Price) |
|---|---|
| Joburg Super Kings | Jason Rowles (R2.9m), Faf du Plessis (R2.7m), Kieron Pollard (R1.5m), Andries Gous (R1m), Blessing Muzarabani (R500k), Dayyaan Galiem (R375k) |
| MI Cape Town | Wiaan Mulder (R2.6m), Shimron Hetmyer (R1.5m), Trent Boult (R1.5m), Daniel Smith, Lehan Botha, Oliver Whitehead (R200k each) |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | Craig Overton (R1.5m), Nandre Burger (R500k) |
| Pretoria Capitals | Rassie van der Dussen (R500k), Keemo Paul, Ackeem Auguste, Josh Breed, Temba Bavuma (R200k each) |
Jason Rowles was the most expensive player of the auction.
SA20 2027 Player Spotlight
These players carry the most attention into the new season.
1. Tristan Stubbs (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
Stubbs leads the defending champions as captain and is listed as a wicketkeeper-batter. He sits in a squad that also holds Quinton de Kock and Matthew Breetzke. His leadership will be watched closely as the side defends its title.
2. Rashid Khan (MI Cape Town)
Rashid is the MI Cape Town captain and the spin leader of the squad. He joins Nicholas Pooran and Will Jacks in a strong overseas core. His overs in the middle phase are the key to the side’s bowling plans.
3. David Miller (Paarl Royals)
Miller captains Paarl Royals and anchors a batting order that also includes Joe Root. He is the finisher the Royals build their innings around. His role in the middle overs is central to how the Royals plan their chases.
4. Joe Root (Paarl Royals)
Root is the Wildcard at Paarl Royals and one of the biggest names in the league. He is also England’s Test captain, so his SA20 stint follows England’s tour of South Africa. His arrival adds a new draw for fans at Boland Park.
5. Jos Buttler and Kane Williamson (Durban’s Super Giants)
Buttler, Williamson and Devon Conway give Durban’s Super Giants a top order packed with experience. Heinrich Klaasen sits in the Wildcard spot. Aiden Markram captains an attack that includes Sam Curran, Sunil Narine and Kwena Maphaka.
6. Faf du Plessis and Kieron Pollard (Joburg Super Kings)
Du Plessis returns to the yellow of Joburg Super Kings, while Pollard turns out in the colours for the first time. Both went at the auction for R2.7 million and R1.5 million. They share a squad with Jason Rowles, the R2.9 million teenager.
7. Andre Russell and Phil Salt (Pretoria Capitals)
Russell is the Pretoria Capitals Wildcard and Salt is one of two wicketkeepers in the squad. Matthew Short adds an Australian batting option, and Temba Bavuma signed at base price. Keshav Maharaj leads the side.
8. Kagiso Rabada (MI Cape Town)
Rabada is the Wildcard at MI Cape Town and a key pace option. He is joined by Trent Boult, which gives the side two high-profile pace options.
9. Mitchell Marsh (Sunrisers Eastern Cape)
Marsh is the Australian all-rounder in the champions’ overseas group. Marco Jansen is the Wildcard, and Anrich Nortje and Nandre Burger lead the pace attack.
SA20 2027 Home Venues
Each team plays home and away across six grounds.
| Team | Home Venue | City |
|---|---|---|
| Durban’s Super Giants | Kingsmead | Durban |
| Joburg Super Kings | The Wanderers Stadium | Johannesburg |
| MI Cape Town | Newlands | Cape Town |
| Paarl Royals | Boland Park | Paarl |
| Pretoria Capitals | SuperSport Park | Centurion |
| Sunrisers Eastern Cape | St George’s Park | Gqeberha |
SA20 2027 Playoff Dates
The top teams after the 30 league matches move into four playoff games.
| Match | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Qualifier 1 | 16 February 2027 | Boland Park, Paarl |
| Eliminator | 17 February 2027 | The Wanderers, Johannesburg |
| Qualifier 2 | 19 February 2027 | The Wanderers, Johannesburg |
| Final | 21 February 2027 | Newlands, Cape Town |
Conclusion
The SA20 2027 teams are all complete, with six full squads of 19 and a mix of established Proteas, global T20 stars and promising Under-23 players. Sunrisers Eastern Cape enter as defending champions, while Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals have all added new names.
With 34 matches between 17 January and 21 February 2027, the race looks open. Bookmark this page for squad updates, injury news and match previews as the season approaches.
FAQs
The season starts on 17 January 2027 and ends with the final at Newlands on 21 February 2027.
There are six teams: Durban’s Super Giants, Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Each squad has 19 players, made up of 18 squad players and one Wildcard.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape are the defending champions.
Aiden Markram leads Durban’s Super Giants, Rashid Khan leads MI Cape Town, David Miller leads Paarl Royals, Keshav Maharaj leads Pretoria Capitals and Tristan Stubbs leads Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Joburg Super Kings had not confirmed a captain at the time of writing.
Heinrich Klaasen, Jamie Overton, Kagiso Rabada, Joe Root, Andre Russell and Marco Jansen.
A maximum of seven overseas players, plus a Wildcard who sits outside the cap.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape play Pretoria Capitals at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, on 17 January 2027.
Paarl Royals, who use all seven overseas slots.
