AB de Villiers urges BCCI to allow more Indian stars like Dinesh Karthik to play in SA20 league

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been urged by legendary South African batter AB de Villiers to permit more Indian players to play in the SA20 league, the country's top franchise-based competition. The first Indian player to play in the SA20 is Dinesh Karthik, who retired from international cricket last year. Beginning on January 9, the former Royal Challengers Bangalore wicketkeeper will represent the Paar Royals in the third SA20 season.

De Villiers' request to BCCI

The SA20 Brand Ambassador, AB de Villiers, was excited about Dinesh Karthik's involvement and emphasized that it will increase awareness of the tournament. He also emphasized how crucial it is to bring in the top foreign players in order to secure the league's expansion.

ALSO READ: KL Rahul to take break from cricket following 3-1 loss in BGT, will miss this competition before Champions Trophy 2025

ALSO READ: Mohammed Shami makes remarkable statement for Champions Trophy selection, says 'all set to take on the world'

"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.

Active Indian men players are usually prohibited from playing in foreign leagues by the BCCI. Although women are allowed to play in English and Australian cricket leagues, senior men's players are strictly excluded by the BCCI. Nonetheless, a number of veteran players have started to retire earlier in order to look for prospects in foreign leagues.

ALSO READ: World Cup winning legendary captain slams ICC's 'terrible' plan to introduce two-tier Test cricket

ALSO READ: Big Blow to PCB, superstar cricketers unlikely to participate in PSL despite going unsold in IPL 2025 mega auction

De Villiers emphasized that SA20 should strive to draw elite international talent in the upcoming years, pointing out that the Indian Premier League (IPL) success has been greatly aided by top-tier foreign players.

"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.

On and off the field, AB de Villiers had a significant role in the Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) victory. From 2011 until 2021, the legendary cricket player played with RCB, where he developed a close relationship with Virat Kohli and won over many fans.