South African great AB de Villiers hopes that the Board of Control for Cricket in India will allow Indian players to participate in SA20 in the near future as it will increase the popularity of this franchise-based T20 league.
The BCCI does not allow its active players to participate in foreign leagues and so far the only way to play in competitions outside India is to pause their career in the home country. Dinesh Karthik is set to become the first Indian cricketer to participate in SA20, but this was possible only when he announced his retirement from international and domestic cricket last year.
AB de Villier’s hope to Indians play in SA20
Advertisement
AB de Villiers, while speaking to select media ahead of the third season of SA20 starting on January 9, said, ‘I would love to see more Indian players involved in it. We know that Dinesh Karthik will be here this year which is great and it is great for the tournament. And hopefully, BCCI will allow more Indian players to join the SA20 in the future.’
Advertisement
De Villiers is well aware that BCCI is not going to make active Indian players available for overseas leagues in the near future, but he would love to see players like Virat Kohli in the SA20. ‘It will be great to see some Indian players at the peak of their careers come and play here. If I had to choose, I would pick all the current players – Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Virat, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav,’ he said.
De Villiers added, ‘Imagine Sky (Suryakumar) playing here – that would be amazing! But if I think of past players, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, or maybe even Irfan Pathan come to mind. Some of these players are already participating in Masters Leagues around the world. Who knows, maybe I will join them in the near future.’
The controversial impact player rule in the IPL has been extended till 2027, but de Villiers is not a fan of it. When asked if this rule should be implemented in SA-20, he said, ‘To be honest, I have never been a big fan of it and I spoke about it in the IPL last season. I think it is a bit confusing, it also puts a bit of pressure on the all-rounder and his role in the team.’
ALSO READ: 4 Cricketers Who Died On The Cricket Field While Playing
Advertisement