South Africa’s T20I captain Aiden Markram on Tuesday briefly held the spotlight at the SA20 2025 auction, becoming the most expensive player in the league’s history, until rising star Dewald Brevis surpassed him minutes later.
Markram, who captained Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back SA20 titles, entered the auction pool for the fourth edition of the tournament after parting ways with his championship-winning franchise. His availability instantly triggered a bidding war between Durban’s Super Giants and Pretoria Capitals, both eager to secure the services of the seasoned batter and proven leader.
The bidding for Markram began at R500,000 and rapidly escalated to R12.6 million, prompting Sunrisers Eastern Cape to play their Right to Match (RTM) card in an attempt to retain their talismanic skipper. However, in accordance with the auction rules, similar to the IPL format, the last bidding team, Durban Super Giants, was allowed to submit a final bid. They did not hesitate, pushing the price up to R14 million (approx. Rs 7.05 crore), forcing Eastern Cape to bow out.
With that, Markram officially joined Durban’s Super Giants, the South African arm of the same franchise group that owns Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League. Ironically, while Markram was picked up by LSG for just Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction, his SA20 price tag now stands at more than three times that figure.
The 29-year-old has been a consistent performer and a proven match-winner in the SA20, making him a hot commodity. His leadership record, recent form, and domestic fan following all contributed to the bidding frenzy.
However, Markram`s record as the most expensive SA20 player was short-lived. Just moments later, Dewald Brevis, another Proteas star, attracted intense interest and was ultimately sold to Pretoria Capitals for a jaw-dropping R16.5 million (approx. Rs 8.31 crore), setting a new all-time high for the league.
Brevis’ sensational form across formats in 2025, including a standout IPL cameo and his maiden T20I century, justified the massive bid. While Markram’s R14 million price tag places him second on the all-time SA20 auction list, it also cements his status as a premium asset in South African T20 cricket.