How to watch the SA20 Season 5 auction live in India

All SA20 franchises and 156 shortlisted players will take part in the Season 5 auction on October 7, 2026, and viewers in India can watch live on JioHotstar or the SA20 YouTube channel. The auction is part of preparations for the fifth edition of the South Africa T20 League (SA20 2027).

A total of 789 players registered for the auction, with a 156-player shortlist comprising 75 South African names and 61 overseas entrants. Those shortlisted will compete to fill 19 remaining slots across four franchises. Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals have already finalised their squads and will attend the auction as a formality.

Joburg Super Kings, MI Cape Town, Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals remain active in the market. Joburg Super Kings and MI Cape Town each require six players, while Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape need five and two respectively. Joburg Super Kings will enter the auction with the highest purse value.

Bidding starts at 8:30 PM IST (5:00 PM local time) on October 7. Dan Nicholl will act as auctioneer. The process will be split into Marquee Mixed Set Rounds and a Nomination Express Round.

Each franchise may register a squad of 19 players made up of 11 South Africans, seven overseas signings and two local U23 cricketers, with maximum expenditure likely to be R35.025 million. High-profile names on the auction list include Faf du Plessis, Trent Boult, Moeen Ali, Rassie van der Dussen and Wiaan Mulder.

Fans in India can access the live coverage via the JioHotstar app or website with an active subscription, and the auction will also be streamed on the SA20 YouTube Channel. The auction completes squad-building ahead of the tournament, which begins on January 17, 2027, in Gqeberha.