Aiden Markram, who led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to two titles in a row, has surprised everyone by opting out of the franchise and entering the SA20 2026 auction. This is unexpected given the SA20 retention list was only announced on July 23.
Markram, a consistent performer in the tournament, was the third-highest run-scorer in the 2025 season and led his team to second place.
ESPN Cricinfo reports that Markram chose to enter the auction pool instead of being retained by Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The 30-year-old told the franchise he wants to see what he’s worth in the open market even though he’s been the face of the team as a two-time title-winning captain.
He can still come back though. Sunrisers can use their right-to-match card to buy him back by matching the highest bid.
Since this is the biggest auction since SA20 started in 2022, Markram’s move will likely start a bidding war. There are 72 spots available across six franchises and the salary cap has been increased to about $2.31 million this year so teams have more money to spend on top players.
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Markram captained the Sunrisers team in the IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad. But he was released in the 2025 mega auction and then picked up by Lucknow Super Giants.
Even with Markram going to the auction, Sunrisers Eastern Cape have a solid core for SA20 2026. According to ESPN Cricinfo, they’ve retained Tristan Stubbs and used their wildcard to keep all-rounder Marco Jansen. They’ve also pre-signed Jonny Bairstow from England, Allah Ghazanfar from Afghanistan and Adam Milne from New Zealand. They still have the right-to-match card for Markram so he might come back. The auction is on September 9.
