Just a handful of hours remain before the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi. By now, the franchises should probably have determined what the opening line-up for the 19th edition would be next year. Among the more than 300 players pointed out from the luxury auction pool, some names from South Africa are assumed to be the ones who will get a lot of money. This includes some of the former players from Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans.
So, let’s go through the auction and see which the top five Proteas players are, who are the best to watch out for in IPL 2026.
Good luck
The South African pacer managed only two outings for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their title victory. Even as cover, Lungi Ngidi was excellent. He took four wickets in two matches; however, his economy was as high as 10. The 29-year-old has participated in all three matches of the present IND vs SA T20I series, and is the leading wicket-taker for the visitors with six wickets at a more respectable economy of less than eight.
Anrich Nortje
The right-arm fast bowler was in the purple and gold jersey last year, but his two matches were extremely disappointing. He claimed a wicket but gave away 83 runs in 7 overs before an injury took him out for the rest of the season, plus he got injured during the tournament. That injury kept him out of the game for quite some time. He recently appeared in the CSA T20 Challenge which is a part of his comeback to competitive cricket. The Dolphins bowler was able to take 11 wickets in 8 innings with a good RPO of 7.47. The 32-year-old’s form will be a plus since it is right before the IPL 2026 auction. Besides, he is also in the T20I series with India as part of the South African team.
George Linde
George Linde is one of the unheard names from South Africa who has played in international cricket. The right-hander has not yet appeared in the Indian Premier League. His skill which is mainly with the ball and he is coming to be noticed especially in the wave of Glenn Maxwell pulling out from the tournament. George Linde is a left-handed all-rounder, a spin-bowler. The stable middle and lower-middle orders for some fiery knocks to finish the innings will be the main target of most franchises at the IPL 2026 auction. Such a player would attract them who can bowl in any way, especially spin. Linde had been playing for Western Province in the CSA T20 Challenge before taking part in the IND vs SA T20Is. His stats were 5 wickets in 4 matches and an economical rate of 4.4.
Gerald Coetzee
Gerald Coetzee is one such player whose bowling is fast, but he can crack a decent score with the bat too. The bowler who was with Gujarat Titans in the previous season got 2 wickets in 4 games. His economy was nearing 11. Most teams would find this rate to be problematic, but the South African pacer has been consistently getting wickets for his side. His last international T20 was against Namibia where his bowling figures were 1/14 and his batting score was 12. Overall the young lad of 25 has played 13 T20Is in which he claimed 14 wickets and scored 110 runs. He can be a good backup option in the team.
Delano Potgieter
Delano Potgieter has not yet played in international matches but he is already a hot topic in global leagues and is likely to be the subject of a bidding war in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. He was one of the stars in the recent India A vs South Africa A series where he scored 30 not out, 23, and 90 along with a wicket. At the same time, he is playing for the franchises of Mumbai Indians in Major League Cricket and SA20, who are their sister franchises. The middle-order batter from Lions scored 55 runs in only 2 matches of the CSA T20 Challenge with the rate of 145 and still maintaining a good strike rate.
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