Graeme Smith explains why there is no Indian player in SA20 Auction pool

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There was growing anticipation that recently-retired Indian cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Piyush Chawla would feature in the SA20 Auction, scheduled for September 9, 2025. However, to the surprise of many, not a single Indian cricketer managed to make it to the final list of players who will go under the hammer.

This year, as many as 13 Indian players, including Ashwin and Chawla, had submitted their entries. Their absence from the final list has become a major talking point, especially since Dinesh Karthik becoming the first Indian to play in the last season of SA20 league.

Addressing the issue, SA20 League Commissioner Greame Smith explained why Indian names were missing from the final draft. According to him, the availability of Indian players is always uncertain and largely dependent on their retirement status.

“Indian players is always a fluid situation depending on who’s retiring and who’s available. I think it was like 13 or 14 Indian players in the auction,” Smith said in a virtual media interaction with Indian outlets.

“What we do is we send the auction lists, which was over 800 names, to the franchises. They then send us their short-list back and then we collate a shortened list that goes to the auction.”

Smith highlighted that Indian cricketers are eligible for franchise leagues like SA20 only once they retire completely from all forms of cricket and step away from BCCI commitments.

The upcoming SA20 Auction will see 25 overseas slots and 59 South African places up for grabs. With a large player pool and limited availability, franchises are expected to focus on filling key roles with impact players.

Despite the absence of Indian stars, the competition is expected to attract global attention, given its rising popularity and the presence of top international names.

Also READ: Chris Morris predicts the most sought-after player in SA20 2025 auction

Speaking about former India captain Sourav Ganguly’s appointment as the full-time head coach of Pretoria Capitals, Smith said: “For us, it’s exciting to have a coach of Dada’s quality. The quality of coaches across the board is exciting. It’s an exposure to our players to great minds. Dada is going to come and do things in his own way. Delhi Capitals didn’t have the best year last year. I am sure he will be motivated at the auction to get a quality group of players to take forward into the season,” Smith said.

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