JSK SA20 Season 5 Auction Preview: Who to Target on October 7 and My Probable XI

Hello Yellow Army! The SA20 Season 5 auction is almost here, and honestly, Joburg Super Kings are in the most interesting spot of all six teams: the biggest purse in the room, a brand-new head coach, and no captain. Not bad for a team that just released its own all-time top scorer.

We already covered the retentions and the Faf du Plessis shocker back in August, and the Albie Morkel head coach news before that. Now the shortlist is out, so I went through all 156 names (reserve prices and everything) to figure out who JSK should actually chase. So, let's get dive into it.

The Auction at a Glance

• When: Wednesday, 7 October 2026, 5pm SAST (8:30pm IST).
• The pool: 789 people registered, and 156 made the shortlist: 95 South Africans and 61 overseas players.
• The money: a maximum of R35.025 million for 19 slots across just four teams.
• Who's bidding: Durban's Super Giants and Paarl Royals already have full 19-player squads, so they're sitting this one out. That leaves JSK, MI Cape Town, Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Pretoria Capitals.
• U23 spots: two of them, expected to be heavily fought over. MI Cape Town and JSK have one each.
• Wildcard: only JSK still have a wildcard slot available. A wildcard is a player whose fee sits outside the salary cap, so a team can bring in a top name without touching its purse. That's the SA20 rule.
• Price to beat: Dewald Brevis went for a record R16.5 million last season, and Tristan Stubbs' R9.2 million at the first auction is the other number everyone remembers.

Here's how the money and slots are split:

JSK are holding about 59% of all the money in the room, which works out to roughly R3.4 million per slot. Pretoria, poor things, have about R295,000 per slot. MI Cape Town have the same six slots as JSK but less than half the cash. Sunrisers only need two players, and have R1.8 million each to spend on them.

Where JSK Stand Right Now

From our earlier piece: nine retained players (Ferreira, du Plooy, Rossouw, Subrayen, Bacher, Forrester, Smit, Jansen, de Villiers), three overseas pre-signings (Akeal Hosein, Jason Holder, James Vince) and 14 released. JSK still have R20.6 million and six slots to fill, tied with MI Cape Town for the most slots, but with more than twice their money.

Now look at who left: Faf du Plessis (the all-time top scorer with 1,029 runs), Nandre Burger (20 wickets, joint-most in JSK history), Reece Topley, Richard Gleeson and Imran Tahir. What's left is Vince, du Plooy, Rossouw and Ferreira with the bat, and Hosein, Holder, Subrayen, Smit and Jansen with the ball.

So JSK need three things:

1. A pace leader. Since Burger, Topley and Gleeson are gone, we need a pace spearhead to take a new ball.
2. An opener or top-order anchor to replace Faf.
3. A captain. with a new approach to lead a new team along with a new coach.

The Reunion Pool (Have a peek)

Here's the funny part: nine of the 14 players JSK released are back in the auction pool. So in theory JSK can just buy them back. Let's see the potential one.

Look at that last column carefully: a lot of these guys haven't been regular JSK names lately. Faf played only half of JSK's games in 2026, Tahir just two, and Mulder, Gleeson and Timmers only showed up in 2026. That might be part of why they were released, though JSK haven't said so. The other five (Worrall, Moonsamy, Ranjane, King, Pepper) aren't in the pool at all.

Also notice the reserve prices. Faf, Burger, Mulder and Tahir all start at just R500,000, which is peanuts next to Brevis's record.

What JSK Need, and Who I'd Target

JSK have six slots, and here's how I'd use them: one for the U23 player, then 2 fast bowlers, 2 top-order batters and 1 spinner with the other five. Pace gets two slots because Burger, Topley and Gleeson all left; so someone needs to take a new ball. The top order gets two because Faf's runs need replacing and Vince can't open alone. The spinner gets only one because Hosein and Subrayen are already there. The captain I'd pick from the existing squad, so he doesn't cost a slot (more on that at the end). The U23 slot and the wildcard have their own notes below.

So in the sections below, you'll see a pace leader, an opener, and a spinner to go with Hosein and Subrayen. Pace and top order get a second player each in the five-slot plan at the end. For each one I've given a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C, using how these players have done in other T20 leagues since August 2025 (from my own league database) plus their SA20 record. These are just my picks, not predictions, and nobody knows the final prices until the hammer falls. Also, the SA20 numbers are past performance (2023 to 2026), so for anyone new to the league we have no SA20 numbers to go on.

1. A pace leader (the biggest hole)

Plan A: Trent Boult (reserve R1.5 million). At 37, the left-armer is like fine wine: still swinging it new ball and still turning up in finals. He was the standout bowler in the final when Edinburgh Castle Rockers won the first European T20 Premier League title, he was among the wickets in The Hundred 2026, and he was part of the MI Cape Town side that won Season 3 of the SA20. He has proven SA20 pedigree. The catch: every team in the room will go for him. But guess who has the highest purse?

Plan B: Richard Gleeson, back home (reserve R1 million). If Boult goes too high, Gleeson is the perfect plan B. He was the joint-highest wicket-taker in The Hundred 2026 with 14 wickets in 8 matches, along with England's Josh Tongue. (Tongue isn't in the SA20 shortlist, so JSK can't target him, which makes Gleeson the best fit.) He played for JSK in 2026, taking 9 wickets in 5 matches, and he's worn yellow for CSK too.

Plan C: Nandre Burger (reserve R500,000). He has 20 wickets in a JSK shirt (2023, 2024 and 2026), and he did well for Texas Super Kings in the MLC too: 9 wickets in 8 matches. His 2026 MLC stint was cut short after 2 games, when Dian Forrester came in to replace him at Texas. At R500,000 he's cheap insurance if the Boult bidding gets crazy.

If JSK want two pacers, the extra options are left-armers Fazalhaq Farooqi (R1.5 million; 19 wickets) and Chris Wood (R500,000; 13 wickets), plus Bangladesh's Nahid Rana (R1.5 million; 18 wickets), who has been doing wonders for Bangladesh with raw pace. The catch is that, apart from decent numbers in the BPL and PSL, he has played only about 30 league matches in total, so he hasn't been tested much in the other leagues compared to the other options. Then there's Sri Lanka's young slingy-action quick Eshan Malinga (R1.5 million). He was the leading wicket-taker in LPL 2026 with 17 wickets in 10 games for Galle Gallants, then took 20 wickets in 15 IPL 2026 games. His economy looks high, but that's flat IPL and LPL pitches for you, so I wouldn't read too much into it; 37 wickets in 25 matches is serious.

2. Two top-order batters to replace Faf's runs

Slot 1, Plan A: Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies, reserve R1.5 million). This is my pick over a Faf reunion. He was the second-highest run-scorer in CPL 2026 with 367 runs at a strike rate of about 197, including two hundreds (a 111 not out and a 102 off just 45 balls in Qualifier 2). His position matters, though. JSK already have openers, so Vince opens and Hetmyer comes in at No. 4, ahead of Ferreira, which means a small reshuffle of the middle order but also a proper power-hitter for the back end of the innings.

Slot 1, Plan B: Faf du Plessis, with a limit (reserve R500,000). The awkward one. The man is in serious form. In the new European T20 Premier League he was the top run-scorer and Player of the Series with 449 runs in 10 matches, while captaining Rotterdam Dockers, a team he co-owns. His own team failed to make the playoffs, which is a bit awkward for an owner, but the runs were all Faf. At R500,000, 1,029 runs for JSK is hard to ignore, and as a South African he doesn't use an overseas spot. But Morkel's first season is supposed to be a "new era", so I'd bid only up to the price of a good opener, not a franchise icon. A 42-year-old can't be your only plan.

Slot 2, Plan A: Andries Gous (USA, wicketkeeper-batter, reserve R1 million). Gous scored an unbeaten 90 off 61 balls to win the ETPL final for Edinburgh Castle Rockers, the same team as Boult. He is an aggressive opener who goes after the bowling from ball one: in MLC 2026 he was the leading run-scorer with 547 runs at a strike rate of about 165 for Washington Freedom, the first player to pass 500 in a single MLC season, with a top score of 132. Since August 2025 he has more than 1,000 runs across MLC, ILT20, CPL and PSL. He keeps wicket and opens, which is a double. Honestly, he could be the modern, upgraded version of Faf: a younger opener who attacks from the start, and he brings the gloves too. If JSK want a proper replacement and not a reunion, this is the guy.

Other options: Zak Crawley (England, reserve R500,000) or Jordan Cox (England, wicketkeeper-batter, R1.5 million). Crawley has hit 449 runs in The Hundred since August 2025, but his SA20 record is quiet (88 runs for Sunrisers). Cox has 869 runs since then, and he knows the league well: he was in Sunrisers Eastern Cape's Season 1 title side and helped Pretoria reach last season's final. But the numbers aren't great where it matters: just 76 runs in 13 SA20 games at a strike rate of about 93, and his ILT20 2025/26 season (321 runs at around 126) was only okay. The Hundred is where he shines, and that doesn't always travel. So since 2025 he's been more of a gamble than the name suggests, and I'd rather stick with the proven Faf.

Slot 2, backup: Rassie van der Dussen (R500,000). He's a steady anchor rather than a flashy hitter: 1,211 runs in 41 SA20 games for MI Cape Town, including 247 in 2026. At that reserve price he's great value if JSK want stability at the top.

If JSK want even more power, there are two other names.

The big bet: Kieron Pollard (R1.5 million, now 39). He's the MI stalwart. He has done so much for MI in the IPL and in every league MI own (and he's hit plenty against CSK too), and he still has 1,125 runs since August 2025 across the CPL, MLC and ILT20, plus a strike rate of 171 for MI Cape Town in the SA20. MI Cape Town will obviously target him, so JSK would have to outbid his home team. And with Jason Holder already signed for that all-rounder and finisher role, I doubt JSK will go for him. There's also a bit of respect involved: Pollard is MI's own, so maybe let him go home. Still, if JSK did land him, that would be a big statement.

The other is Colin Munro (R1.5 million; 1,268 runs).

3. A spinner to go with Hosein and Subrayen

Plan A: Imran Tahir (reserve R500,000), the evergreen. At 47 he was the top wicket-taker of CPL 2025 with 23 wickets, then took 16 more in CPL 2026, finishing joint-highest again (level with Hunain Shah, AS Joseph and MW Forde). Since August 2025 that adds up to 41 wickets in 26 matches. He also has 18 wickets for JSK, and he's a CSK legend too. Released by JSK, but the numbers say the legs are still working. He's South African, so he doesn't use up an overseas spot, which is exactly what this squad needs.

Plan B: AM Ghazanfar (Afghanistan, reserve R1.5 million). The 20-year-old mystery spinner has 36 wickets in 30 matches since August 2025 (ILT20, IPL and CPL). He's a proper mystery spinner. He did well for MI in IPL 2026, mainly with the new ball: 7 of his 15 wickets there came in the powerplay, which is a job Hosein does for JSK too, so the two could share the overs. He's new to the SA20, so it's a bit of a punt, but a smart one. He'd also need an overseas spot, and those are tight, so I'd go for him only if JSK miss out on Tahir.

Plan C: Liam Dawson (R1.5 million) or Rehan Ahmed (R1 million). Dawson has 22 wickets for Sunrisers in the SA20 and 20 in The Hundred since August 2025. Rehan, just 22, has 22 wickets since then, which is good for a young spinner.

The U23 slot

JSK have one of the two U23 slots in the auction, so spend the cheap money there. My pick is pace-bowling all-rounder Matthew Boast (R200,000), who fetched the joint-highest bid in the Season 2 auction, because the squad needs a bowling option more than another batter. JSK's own released youngsters are the safe alternative: Neil Timmers is a wicketkeeper-batter who has already played for JSK, and Steve Stolk and Jorich van Schalkwyk are young batters (all R200,000). Former SA U19 captain Jason Rowles, an all-rounder, is another name. (Boast has only a couple of SA20 games in our data so far, so we don't have much to judge him on yet.)

My Five-Slot Plan (Plus the U23)

JSK have six slots, and one of them is the U23 slot. So that leaves five to build around, and this is how I'd split them: 2 fast bowlers, 2 top-order batters and 1 spinner.

Add up the Plan A reserve prices, with Hetmyer, Gous and Tahir included, and you get roughly R5.7 million. JSK have R20.6 million. So they can pay three times the reserve for every player and still have change left, which is a nice problem to have.

One thing to watch: Hosein, Holder and Vince are already overseas players, so Boult, Gleeson, Gous and Hetmyer would take JSK to seven overseas players. The SA20 rule allows a maximum of seven overseas players in a squad, so that plan fits, but only just. Tahir is South African, so he doesn't count.

So Who Captains?

Nobody has been named yet, so here's my own view, and it's only a view.

• If Faf comes back, he could captain again. Experience is not a problem with him.
• If JSK go new, the most likely name is Donovan Ferreira. A new head coach is coming in, so a fresh captain for a fresh start makes sense. He's been JSK's Swiss Army knife: 555 runs, 16 wickets, 3 Player of the Match awards and 40 of JSK's 41 games so far, by far the most of any retained player.
• Jason Holder is another good option. He's a former West Indies Test captain, he's captained in other leagues, and he just won MLC 2026 as captain of LA Knight Riders. He's a bowler, and so is Morkel, so the two should understand each other. He's already signed too, so he doesn't depend on the auction at all.

Leus du Plooy, JSK's second-highest run-scorer ever, is also in the mix, but I'd say it's between Ferreira and Holder.

My 18-Man Squad

Put the nine retained players, the three pre-signed overseas players and my six picks together (Boult, Gleeson, Hetmyer, Gous, Tahir and a U23 in Matthew Boast), and this is the squad I'd walk into the season with:

That makes 7 overseas players (Gous, Hetmyer, Vince, Holder, Hosein, Boult and Gleeson) and 11 South Africans (Tahir is one of them), so it fits the rules.

My Probable XI

Only four overseas players can play in the XI, so I've gone with Gous, Hetmyer, Hosein and Boult. Vince, Holder and Gleeson wait on the bench, which is a luxury problem to have.

And if something goes wrong, the bench is ready:

• Opener needed? James Vince is there.
• Middle order? Rilee Rossouw.
• Lower order? Jarren Bacher or Matthew Boast.
• Spinner? Prenelan Subrayen.
• No Boult? Richard Gleeson takes the new ball.

Gous is the keeper in this XI, and Ferreira and de Villiers have both kept wicket for JSK too, so there's cover there as well.

What to Watch on 7 October

• How high Boult goes. If he goes very high, we'll see how much of that purse JSK are ready to spend early.
• Whether JSK bid for Faf. Easily the most talked-about line item of the day.
• Whether JSK go after Pollard. MI Cape Town will want him back, so will JSK want to spoil MI's plans by driving up the price, or just let their old stalwart go home?
• The U23 slot and the wildcard. JSK have one of the two U23 slots and are the only team with a wildcard still available, so those picks could be where they surprise us.
• How much JSK hold back. With R20.6 million for six slots, they can chase a big name or just fill gaps, and the order of their bids will show the plan.

Want to see how JSK's squad has done? Check JSK players, the SA20 seasons and the JSK stats hub.

Stay healthy stay yellow.