SA20 2026 season player news - MI Cape Town lose Shamsi, Williamson returns to DSG

Simon Lewis

Editor

Last updated: 01 Dec 2025

Share

Simon Lewis 01 Dec 2025

Share this article

Proteas’ T20 spin wizard Tabraiz Shamsi withdraws from 2026 SA20.
DSG’s 2025 star batter Kane Williamson to return for new season.
SA20’s fourth season runs from 26 December 2025 to 25 January 2026.

Tabraiz Shamsi celebrates a wicket in the CPL (Getty Images).

MI Cape Town lose Shamsi

T20 match-winner Tabraiz Shamsi has withdrawn from the 2026 SA20 season for personal reasons. MI Cape Town paid R500,000 for the wristspinner in the September 2025 auction.

Shamsi made himself unavailable for personal reasons and his place will be filled by Pretoria-born left-arm wristspinning allrounder Thomas Kaber, who has taken 63 T20 wickets in 56 innings.

Kaber took seven wickets in the 2023/24 season in six matches, adding three wickets in his one appearance in 2024/25, when MI Cape Town won their first SA20 title.

The defending champions have an impressive spin-bowling contingent for the coming season, with Afghanistan star Rashid Khan leading a spin contingent that includes George Linde, Dane Piedt and Kaber. MI Cape Town’s pace attack is equally threatening, including Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, Corbin Bosch and Dwaine Pretorius.

Star batter Williamson back at DSG

Kane Williamson has been brought back by DSG to replace Taijul Islam for the 2025/26 season. Williamson was released after a highly successful season with the bat in 2025, ending as the franchise’s highest run-getter.

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam was bought for R500,000 in the September auction but is unavailable for the season. Williamson racked up 233 runs (ave 46.60, S/R 118.87) in his eight games for the franchise, but it was not enough to prevent the franchise finishing at the bottom of the table.

The New Zealand star batter recently retired from T20Is, despite the T20 World Cup being just three months away.