The upcoming SA20 2026 season, starting 26 December, is already making headlines. With the players’ auction scheduled for 9 September in Johannesburg, big names have registered for the draft. And now, the most surprising addition is England’s legendary fast bowler James Anderson, who has thrown his hat in the ring for the very first time.
If picked, Anderson will join a league that already has 13 Indian cricketers listed for the auction, making this season even more intriguing.
13 Indian names in the SA20 auction list
A rare chance for Indian players, 13 have registered for the auction:
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Dinesh Karthik
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Piyush Chawla (highest Indian base price at Rs 50 lakh)
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Siddharth Kaul
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Mahesh Ahir
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Anureet Singh
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Saral Kanwar
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Nikhil Jaga
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KS Naveen
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Mohammad Faiz
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Imran Khan (Rs 20 lakh base price)
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Atul Yadav
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Ansari Maruf
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Venkatesh Gallipelli
The rest of the players, barring Chawla and Imran Khan, have entered with a base price of Rs 10 lakh.
Anderson’s T20 comeback
Anderson, who stunned the cricketing world by returning to T20s after 11 years, impressed everyone in the T20 Blast 2025 for Lancashire. He bagged 17 wickets in 9 matches at an average of 14.70. Though his stint in The Hundred for Manchester Originals was short (2 games, no wickets), his experience and ability to swing the ball at any stage makes him a hot pick.
Dale Steyn’s backing
Even before Anderson’s name surfaced officially, South African legend Dale Steyn had vouched for him:
"I may not be the coach of any team, but if I were in this position, I would definitely include James Anderson in my team. I hope some franchise will grab him."
All eyes on the auction
The SA20 features six franchises, and Anderson’s presence in the pool is set to spice up the bidding war. Given his vast experience and his successful T20 Blast comeback, the veteran pacer might just be one of the most talked-about signings of the season.
