Former India spinner Piyush Chawla, who only retired a few months ago, has surprised many by putting his name in the SA20 2025 auction.
He will not be alone as 12 more Indian cricketers have also entered the list for the Johannesburg event in September.
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This comes even though the BCCI rule does not allow active Indian players to feature in overseas T20 leagues.
Piyush Chawla decided to enter SA20 after retirement
Chawla, aged 36, announced his retirement from Indian cricket in June 2025. By stepping away from both international and IPL commitments, he has now become eligible for foreign leagues.
The leg-spinner, who represented India in both the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup, was last seen playing in the World Championship of Legends earlier this year.
His career in the IPL included stints with four major teams- Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders- where he played nearly 200 matches.
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Despite wanting to feature in IPL 2025, he went unsold at the auction. Now, with a base price of 1,000,000 Rand, Chawla is aiming for a new chapter in South Africa’s premier T20 league.
Who are the other Indian players in the SA20 2025 auction?
Alongside Chawla, twelve more Indians have registered: Siddarth Kaul, Ankit Rajpoot, Mahesh Ahir, Sarul Kanwar, Anureet Singh Kathuria, Nikhil Jaga, Mohamed Faidh, KS Naveen, Ansari Marouf, Imran Khan (UPCA), Venkatesh Galipelly and Atul Yadav.
Most of them have been listed with a base price of 200,000 Rand, while Imran Khan has set his at 500,000 Rand.
These players are either retired or no longer involved in Indian domestic circuits, which allows them to take part despite the BCCI’s restrictions.
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How big is the SA20 2025 auction pool?
The SA20 Season 4 auction, scheduled for September 9 in Johannesburg, has attracted a staggering 784 players.
This includes over 150 cricketers from England, 40 from Pakistan, and several South African stars.
With franchises backed by IPL team owners, the league has quickly become one of the richest T20 tournaments outside India, with each side given a budget cap of R41-million.
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Notably, Dinesh Karthik is the only Indian who has featured in SA20 so far. He played last season after ending his career in India.