Former South African national cricket team player AB de Villiers has spoken about the upcoming edition of the SA20. He said that along with Dinesh Karthik, he would like more Indian players to be part of the league in the future, which is much like the Indian Premier League (IPL).
SA20 is one of the best leagues that use franchise cricket. Along with the Indian Premier League, if there is any league that is right on track with competition and money, it is the South African League, which will have its third edition in the coming days.
BCCI does not allow its players to play in foreign leagues as part of their policy
However, what remains constant is that Indian players will not be allowed in this league as well, even though the teams are owned by the IPL owners. This is because BCCI does not allow its players to play in foreign leagues as part of their policy as they are only allowed to play in IPL.
Dinesh Karthik, however, is all set to become the first Indian cricketer to compete in the SA20. However, this was only possible after he announced his international and domestic retirement last year. He will be part of the third edition, which will start on January 9.
We hope BCCI will allow us to attract more Indian players in the future to come and join the fun at SA20 – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers has expressed his desire to see more Indians play in the SA20. He requested the BCCI to allow more players to play in the league. He pointed out that allowing more overseas players will make the league stronger. Speaking to PTI, he explained:
“I would like to see more Indian players involved. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year which is fantastic and great for the tournament. And we hope BCCI will allow us to get more Indian players in the future to come and join the SA20 fun.
“We (SA20) can continue to grow in terms of overseas players. This is a big part of the success of the IPL over the years and I have been watching the IPL since 2008. Every year the overseas contingents seem to be getting stronger and stronger,” said AB de Villiers.
You get the best players in the world and the best players in India and that combination makes for great cricket – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers added that bringing together the best players in the world along with the Indian players makes the best combination. He said it would be great for Graeme Smith and his team to take the league forward.
“You have the best players in the world and the best players in India and that combination makes cricket great. So I think for Graeme Smith and his team, it's just to keep pushing hard, as hard as they can (to get the best talent from overseas),” said AB de Villiers.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape will play the opening match of SA20 2025 against Mumbai Indians Cape Town.
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