The SA20 auction took place overnight, with some big names fetching massive sums. Reeza Hendricks was the most expensive purchase at R4.3 million to MI Cape Town. Richard Gleeson went for R2.3 million to the SunRisers Eastern Cape!
Some of these picks might seem odd, but let’s break them down. Using data for every T20 league going all around the World, it is time to have a look at the stats and the data that led teams to purchase these players.
Reeza Hendricks – R4.3 Million – MICT
Reeza Hendricks has been amongst the leading run scorers in T20s this year, having played in 58 innings, he has amassed 1606 runs, having played the role of an anchor.
- Innings: 58
- Runs: 1606
- Strike Rate: 129.41
- Average: 31.49
Having a look at the most successful batters in 2024, it is clear, Hendricks has been slower than most. Searching for Anchors, MI Cape Town have made sure to get on, going hard after Hendricks in the auction, but have they overpaid for him? We will leave that for you to decide.
Colin Ingram - R175K - MICT
At just 175,000, Colin Ingram has been a steal for MI Cape Town, he was destructive for Glamorgan and his BASRA helps him stands out, even when compared to Reeza Hendricks for whom they paid 24x more.
Having struggled with their Middle Order this season, Mumbai have recruited a specialist to bat in the space. While Colin Ingram may be old, he's coming off a career best season across formats with Glamorgan in Wales.
Dane Piedt - R175K - MICT
Dane Piedt was another purchase that did not make a lot of sense on paper, having only played 5 T20 games in 2024, taken 3 wickets at an average of 42.33 and economy of 7.05.
This was a pick based more on promise, than results, especially with coach Robin Petersen having previously played and worked with Dane Piedt at the provincial level.
Evin Lewis - R1.5 Million - PC
The Pretoria Capitals went hard after Reeza Hendricks, battling it out with MI Cape Town, but they lost out due to their remaining purse and instead settled for Evin Lewis.
Who is having a good year playing the role of aggressor, having scored 455 runs at an average of 25.3 and a strike rate of 141.7 and it is indicated by his BASRA index.
Marques Ackerman - R800K - PC
Ackerman is a burly left hander from Johannesburg with a penchant for scoring quick runs, best illustrated by his record in FC Cricket where he strikes at 76.92.
Ackerman has not managed to convert his FC stats into ground-breaking T20 stats but the hope of the Pretoria Capitals will be he can get into full flow with a stronger side around him!
Kyle Simmonds - R175K - PC
Kyle Simmonds is a off-spin bowling all-rounder who was with the Johannesburg Super Kings in the preceding season, a very economical spinner, he fit the role perfectly for Pretoria Capitals.
Having played 6 games for Super Kings in the 2024 season, he was impressive, having taken 6 wickets in 4 innings, at an average of 14.33 and an economy of 7.8! His overall record being just as impressive, averaging 18.6 with an economy of 6.6 in all T20 Cricket.
Rubin Hermann - R175K - PR
The Paarl Royals lost Jos Buttler this season because of prior commitments with England, which meant the Royals were in the market for a wicketkeeper who could bat.
Rubin Hermann fits that bill, averaging 31.4 with the bat and striking along at 133.5!
Wihan Lubbe - R175K - JSK
Wihan Lubbe is a capped played for South Africa, who at just R175K is a steal. He's also created history, having scored a 33 ball hundred in 2018 for the Highveld Lions.
Lubbe has been a part of the SA20, he hasn't shown his best form having averaged 17.57 and struck at 117.6, but as a batting all-rounder he offers the Joburg Super Kings a handy option!
Evan Jones - R175K - JSK
Evan Jones is a seam-bowling all-rounder from Pretoria who has previously played 11 games for the Paarl Royals in the SA20!
A hard-hitting lower order batter, it is his bowling that has shone so far at the SA20, having picked 15 wickets in 10 innings, averaging 1.5 wickets a game, and if his batting comes good, Joburg Super Kings have a bonus!
Doug Bracewell - R175K - JSK
Bracewell is a brusing lower order bat who bowls serious gas. With career averages of 24.72 with ball and 27.95 with bat, JSK have managed a steal there!
He's already played four games for JSK taking four wickets and scored 35 runs at a strike rate of 160, making him the perfect choice for them to bring back in 2025.
Okhule Cele - R175K - SEC
It was Ottneil Baartman first and now it is Okhule Cele, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape have upped their death-bowling further with a player that once earned an international call-up as well.
Cele comes as another potential pick, with not a lot of ball-by-ball data available, but at base price, he is a very good pick-up for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Richard Gleeson - R2.3 Million - SEC
Replacing Danny Worral in their side, the Sunrisers Eastern Cape went on a bidding spree to secure the services of Richard Gleeson for good reason!
Gleeson has 27 wickets at the Death at an economy of just 9 since the start of 2020, making him amongst the better death bowlers going around!
Shamar Joseph - R425K - DSG
The only signing from Durban Super Giants in the SA20 auction, they paired up Shamar Joseph alongside Allan Donald, making Shamar a player to watch out for this season!
Shamar is a promising death bowler already, having picked up 10 wickets so far in his career at 13.9 at an economy of 8.96, with the world being his oyster so far!
Data for this article was collected from spoda.ai, the world's first cricket intelligence tool that uses data and makes complex data analysis with cricket easy and user friendly.
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