The surge of Indian Premier League (IPL) in the T20 league cricket has also fanned other countries to follow the footsteps the cash-rich league and which is why T20 cricket league is achieving so much of success across the globe.
After the success of IPL in all way for Indian cricket and the BCCI, almost now every cricket board wants their own T20 league.
In view of it, the UAE’s new T20 league, the International League T20 (ILT20) and the upcoming Cricket South Africa (CSA) T20 League is raging up.
Now IPL franchises are spreading their wings all across the globe. A number of franchise owners have purchased teams in different leagues all over the world. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) recently roped in the Johannesburg franchise in the South African league. But, much to the disappointment of South African fans, Indian players, including MS Dhoni, can't be a part of that league.
No Indian player, contracted or retired and playing in IPL, will be allowed by the Indian cricket board to feature in the two upcoming T20 leagues of South Africa and UAE. No one playing in the IPL would be even allowed to be a mentor in these overseas leagues.
“It’s clear, no Indian player including domestic players can take part in any other league until he is retired from all forms of the game. If any player wants to take part in these upcoming leagues he can only do so when he cuts off all ties with the BCCI,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express.
When asked if a player like Dhoni can be part of such a league as a mentor or as a coach, the BCCI official said, “Then he can’t play IPL for CSK. He has to retire here first.”
Six Indian Premier League (IPL) owners have bought teams in the South Africa T20 League. In a press release, Cricket South Africa stated that the owners of Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Chennai, Rajasthan and Delhi franchises from the IPL now own the South Africa T20 teams from Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth), Johannesburg, Paarl and Pretoria respectively.
The UAE T20 league already boasted five out of the six franchises with Indian owners, three of which have teams in the IPL. Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders have invested in UAE T20 League. Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals owners had already invested in the Caribbean Premier League before.
