Hope BCCI allows more Indian players to participate in SA20: AB de Villiers

Legendary AB de Villiers, brand ambassador of SA20, urged the Indian cricket board to allow more players to participate in the premier South African T20 tournament in the future.

In Short

• The third season of SA20 will get underway on January 8
• Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to play in the South African T20 tournament
• Karthik signed up for Paar Royals in the SA20

Legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow more Indian players to participate in SA20, South Africa's premier franchise-based tournament. Dinesh Karthik, who retired from international cricket last year, is set to become the first Indian player to feature in SA20. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore wicketkeeper will play for the Paar Royals in the third edition of SA20, starting on 9 January.

AB de Villiers, the SA20 Brand Ambassador, expressed enthusiasm about Dinesh Karthik’s participation, emphasising that it would boost interest in the league. He also highlighted the importance of including the best overseas talent to ensure the league's growth.

"I would love to see more Indian players involved. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year, which is fantastic, and it's great for the tournament. Hopefully, the BCCI will allow us to get more Indian players in the future to come and join the fun of SA20," AB de Villiers said during a media interaction on Tuesday, 7 January.

The BCCI traditionally prohibits active Indian male players from participating in overseas leagues. While female cricketers are permitted to play in leagues in England and Australia, the BCCI enforces a strict exclusivity policy for senior men's players.

However, several veteran players have begun retiring earlier to explore opportunities in overseas leagues.

IPL SUCCESS FORMULA FOR SA20?

De Villiers noted that high-quality overseas players have been instrumental in the success of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and stressed that SA20 should aim to attract top-tier international talent in the years ahead.

"We [SA20] can just keep growing with regards to the overseas players. That's been a large part of the success of the IPL over the years, and I've followed the IPL since 2008. Every year, the overseas contingents seem to get stronger and stronger.

"You get the best players in the world and the best players in India, and that combination makes for great cricket. So I think for Graeme Smith and his team moving forward, it’s just about pushing as hard as they can to get the best overseas talent," he said.

AB de Villiers was a key figure in the success of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), both on and off the field. The iconic cricketer represented RCB from 2011 to 2021, forming a strong bond with Virat Kohli and becoming a fan favourite during his tenure.