Bangladesh’s promising pace sensation Nahid Rana went unsold at the SA20 mini-auction held on Wednesday, 8 October, after failing to attract bids from any of the participating franchises. The fiery right-arm fast bowler was among 156 players shortlisted for the player draft, which featured a mix of 95 South African domestic talents and 61 international cricketers competing for a limited number of roster spots.
Rana, who has drawn considerable attention in recent months for his raw pace and ability to consistently cross the 150 km/h mark in international cricket, entered the auction with a base price of 1.5 million South African Rand (SAR). Despite his burgeoning reputation on the international circuit, none of the franchise managers chose to raise their paddle for the youngster.
This outcome leaves leg-spinner Risad Hossain as the solitary representative from Bangladesh in the upcoming edition of South Africa’s premier franchise T20 league. Risad was secured earlier in the year by Sunrisers Eastern Cape. Barring any late injury setbacks or schedule conflicts with international duties, the wrist-spinner is expected to feature in the tournament, offering Bangladeshi cricket enthusiasts a reason to tune in.
The mini-auction itself saw a total of 20 vacant slots filled across four of the six participating franchises. Teams operated under a collective remaining purse cap of SAR 35.025 million. Joburg Super Kings also retained a wildcard option, which functions outside the standard team salary limit. Meanwhile, Durban’s Super Giants and Paarl Royals opted out of the bidding process altogether, having already finalized their maximum permitted 19-player squads prior to the auction.
Several high-profile international and local stars secured lucrative deals during the event, including veteran West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard, former South African captain Faf du Plessis, New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult, West Indies batter Shimron Hetmyer, and South Africa’s white-ball skipper Temba Bavuma.
The third season of the SA20 is scheduled to commence on 17 January, concluding with the grand final on 21 February. Two-time champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape will enter the competition as defending titleholders, aiming to retain their crown against a heavily reinforced field.
