The inaugural season of the SA20 cricket season is in the books. The Sunrisers Eastern Cape took home the spoils in the playoff finals with a win over the Pretoria Capitols. The first season of the tournament was a tremendous success, with the league bringing in millions of dollars in revenue, and season two of the competition will be looked forward to by fans and players alike.
The first season of the SA20 tournament had some of the world’s top T20 players. Thanks to investment from the IPL, money wasn’t scarce for many of the top stars. The first season of the competition offered a minimum of $10,000 with a maximum of $550,000. Teams had a cap of $2 million to build their squads. So, which players were the highest paid during the inaugural season of the SA20?
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Tristan Stubbs – Sunrisers Eastern Cape
Stubbs was the most expensive player at the SA20’s inaugural auction, costing Sunrisers Eastern Cape R9.2 million ($520,000). The South African wicketkeeper helped the team win the championship in year No 1, so the price for him was justified. Stubbs earned more in the SA20 than for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL for the same campaign.
Rilee Rossouw – Pretoria Capitals
Pretoria Capitals made batter Rilee Rossouw the second-highest paid player at R6.9 million. The two South Africans were important signings, as they provided local fans with players, they were familiar with. Rossouw helped the Capitals reach the championship final, where they lost to Eastern Cape. The two biggest spenders saw returns on their investments in season No 1, reaching the final.
Liam Livingstone – MI Cape Town
England’s Livingstone earned an incredible USD $500,000 during the month-long cricket tournament. Livingstone played for MI Cape Town. Although he wasn’t the highest paid player in terms of the auction, Livingstone was the highest-paid player in terms of salary. Unfortunately, he couldn’t help MI Cape Town make the playoffs. Indeed, Cape Town finished last in the six-team league.
Jos Buttler – Paarl Royals
Buttler was the highest paid player in season No 1 alongside Livingstone. The England international earned USD $500,000, as he helped the Paarl Royals qualify for the playoffs. The Royals lost in the semifinals to the Pretoria Capitals. Buttler led the SA20 in runs with 391, with an average of 39.10.
Moeen Ali – Joburg Super Kings
All-rounder Moeen Ali earned USD $400,000 for the 2023 season in South Africa. The England international played for the Joburg Super Kings, helping them reach the semifinals of the tournament. Before arriving in South Africa for the tournament, Ali won the T20 World Cup alongside Livingstone and Buttler. The T20 World Cup win likely helped all three England stars earn the salaries they did. All three are not only star players, but they are big names in the sport.