Cape Town – There were a number of surprises along the way as the eight franchises picked their squads for the upcoming T20 Global League, and there were a number of players who cashed in and became millionaires overnight. 

The 16 rounds of draft picks all came with a different cash bracket, with the first round seeing at players pocketing R1.75 million and the final two rounds seeing players earn a cool R130 000. 

In total, each of the eight teams spent R11.7 million on its players, bringing the total amount of cash splashed on Sunday to R93.7 million. 

Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dane Paterson, Colin Ingram, JJ Smuts and Alex Hales were the eight players picked in the first round. 

It is a massive boost to the likes of Paterson and Smuts, who have only just broken onto the international scene. 

Paterson, for example, has been opening the bowling for SWD in the Africa T20 Cup, and now he is the most expensive player in the country and an overnight millionaire. 

Even as you look down the draft, to the very bottom, there are players who have had their lives changed in an instant. 

The last name out the hat was that of 29-year-old Kyle Nipper, who has struggled for the best part of a decade to break into the domestic scene. 

He was chosen as the Pretoria Mavericks’ last player, and the R130 000 will surely be more than anything he has ever made during his time at the Dolphins or KZN Inland. 

Andile Phehlukwayo, at just 21, was also struggling to come to grips with how much money he had just netted at the draft. 

Having been picked in the third round by the Joburg Giants, the Proteas allrounder walks away with R1.3 million. 

Aiden Markram (Nelson Mandela Bay Stars), Farhaan Behardien (Mavericks) and Tabraiz Shamsi (Stellenbosch Monarchs) were all chosen in the second round of the draft and they also have life-changing pay cheques of R1.495 million coming their way. 

Dolphins veteran Robbie Frylinck, meanwhile, will earn R1.105 million for being picked by the Mavericks in the fourth round along with Lungi Ngidi, Shaun von Berg, rassie ban der Dussen, Bjorn Fortuin, Chris Jonker and Heinrich Klaasen.

FULL SQUADS: T20 GLOBAL LEAGUE

T20 Global League draft prize money (noticeable picks in brackets):

Round 1 – R1.755 million (Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dane Paterson, Colin Ingram, JJ Smuts)

Round 2 – R1.495 million (Vernon Philander, Aiden Markram, Farhaan Behardien, Tabraiz Shamsi)

Round 3 – R1.3 million (Andile Phehlukwayo, Dane Vilas, Wayne Parnell)

Round 4 – R1.105 million (Lungi Ngidi, Shaun von Berg, Rassie van der Dussen, Bjorn Fortuin, Chris Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen, Robbie Frylinck)

Round 5 – R975 000 (David Wiese, Aaron Phangiso, Temba Bavuma, Keshav Maharaj, Henry Davids)

Round 6 – R845 000 (Eddie Leie, Morne van Wyk, Dwaine Pretorius, Patrick Kruger, Johan Botha)

Round 7 – R780 000 (Pite van Biljon, Beuran Hendricks, Jason Smith, Junior Dala, Sisanda Magala, Vaughn van Jaarseveld, Wiaan Mulder)

Round  8 – R650 000 (Theunis de Bruyn, Leus du Plooy, Rudi Second, Qaasim Adams, Heino Kuhn, Justin Ontong)

Round 9 – R585 000 (Rory Kleinveldt, Duanne Olivier, Andrew Birch, Reeza Hendricks, Ryan McLaren)

Round 10 – R520 000 (Dean Elgar, Malusi Siboto, Jonathan Vandiar, Colin Ackermann)

Round 11 – R455 000 (Khaya Zondo, Roelof van der Merwe)

Round 12 – R390 000 (Sibonelo Makhanya, George Linde)

Round 13 – R325 000 (Basheeru Walters)

Round 14 – R260 000 (Craig Alexander, Dane Piedt, Calvin Savage, Daryn Dupavillon)

Round 15 – R130 000 (Motkozisi Shezi)

Round 16 – R130 000 (Cody Chetty, Kyle Nipper, Tshepo Moreki)