Predicting the top 3 most expensive all-rounders in SA20 Auction 2024 ft. Mohammad Nawaz
The second edition of the SA20 is set to begin on January 10, 2024, and the player auction for the same will be held in Johannesburg on Wednesday, September 27. The six teams had their time to pick the players they wanted to retain and release, and now, a minimum of 21 slots need to be filled by the franchises heading into the auction.
Many big names are set to go under the hammer and with the team's salary cap being increased, fierce bidding is expected for some of these players. All-rounders have always been valuable assets in T20 cricket, especially when it comes to providing squad depth and tactical flexibility.
With plenty of shrewd minds set to take to the auction table on Wednesday, we can expect some high bids for all-rounders. On that note, let's look at three all-rounders who teams could break the bank for.
#3 Mohammad Nawaz
Pakistan spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz is sure to be a hot prospect at the SA20 Auction. The left-arm spinner is a T20 veteran, having played in 229 T20s to date, scoring more than 2500 runs and picking up 181 wickets.
He's an integral part of Pakistan's limited-overs setup and is equally adept with both the bat and the ball. Nawaz has been hugely successful in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the Quetta Gladiators and was also part of franchises in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
There was plenty of assistance for spinners in the first edition of the SA20, and it was a left-arm spinner, Roelof van der Merwe, who finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker. With that being the case, which team wouldn't want to bid on a proven current international all-rounder in his prime?
#2 Colin de Grandhomme
One of the most experienced cricketers going around, Colin de Grandhomme is an absolute powerhouse in T20 cricket and one of the best utility players you'll ever see. A brutal striker of the ball and a disciplined medium pacer, de Grandhomme has bailed out many a side with his skill-set in the 253 T20 matches he's played so far.
He's been a part of nearly every T20 league in the world and possesses bucketloads of experience. The 37-year-old is a hard-hitting batter who can take the game to the opposition bowlers at the death. He can take the new ball and use it to good effect but is equally good at bowling on two-paced and sluggish surfaces, plenty of which we saw in Season 1 of the SA20.
Plenty of teams will be after him for his experience and proven ability, and he should be one of the most sought-after all-rounders at the auction.
#1 Romario Shepherd
While Romario Shepherd is listed as a bowler in the SA20 Auction list, every team will consider him to be a very effective bowling all-rounder. He has scored close to 900 runs at an average of 22.78 and a strike rate of 150.60, and will be very handy in closing out an innings or chasing a target.
The 28-year-old is also a gun bowler, capable of operating in different stages, and is a death bowling specialist. Shepherd was part of the Johannesburg Super Kings (JSK) in the first edition of the SA20. JSK were keen on including him in the side, and he was their fourth pick in the pre-auction draft.
However, after a somewhat middling season (118 runs and eight wickets), he has been released ahead of the auction. Shepherd is a player who is highly sought after in most T20 leagues and is someone who can be useful to a franchise in many ways. He has a good chance of being the most expensive player at the auction.