Joburg Super Kings Secure Kieron Pollard and Faf du Plessis in SA20 2027 Mini-Auction

Joburg Super Kings made some notable moves at the SA20 2027 mini-auction on Wednesday, securing veteran allrounder Kieron Pollard and bringing back former captain Faf du Plessis.

Pollard was signed by JSK for R1.5 million without any competing bid from MI Cape Town. The former Mumbai Indians star has represented every MI franchise across various global T20 leagues, but MICT opted not to pursue him at the auction.

Instead, MI Cape Town chose Shimron Hetmyer as their finisher, with the West Indies batter also going for R1.5 million.

JSK also regained the services of Faf du Plessis after releasing him ahead of the auction. The South African veteran was bought back for R2.7 million, with JSK beating competition from MI Cape Town to secure his return.

MICT also strengthened their bowling attack by bringing back New Zealand left-arm pacer Trent Boult for R1.5 million. Boult has established himself as a powerplay specialist across several T20 leagues, including the IPL, MLC, SA20, ILT20 and The Hundred.

The biggest purchase of the mini-auction was South African teenager Jason Rowles. The 18-year-old allrounder attracted intense bidding between JSK and MICT before Joburg Super Kings eventually secured him for R2.9 million.

Rowles, a left-handed batter who also bowls left-arm spin, is regarded as one of South Africa's promising young talents. He finished as South Africa's leading run-scorer at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, scoring 280 runs in five innings at an average of 70 and a strike rate of 112.

He further enhanced his reputation in July by hitting a double-century in a Youth Test against England in Hove.

SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith highlighted Rowles' auction as one of the day's major moments, pointing to it as evidence of the league's pathway for young South African talent.

With Pollard now part of their squad, JSK have added considerable experience and power to a middle order that already features Donovan Ferreira and Dian Forrester, both of whom have IPL experience.

Pollard is also on the verge of another major T20 milestone. He needs just one more run to become only the second batter after Jos Buttler to reach 15,000 runs in T20 cricket.