According to SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith, they can only improve after learning from the biggest franchise tournament Indian Premier League (IPL), which is still the clear leader in franchise cricket. In South Africa, the third season of SA20 is currently nearing its conclusion.
"BCCI and IPL have been amazing in supporting us and guiding us in every decision we have made. IPL is the leader in franchise cricket by far, and we can only learn from them," Smith told PTI Bhasha in an exclusive interview.
Smith hails IPL
The first Indian player to play in SA20 was IPL veteran Dinesh Karthik, who played for the Paarl Royals. But the squad lost to Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the two-time winners, in Centurion on Thursday in the second qualifier. Smith was excited about the possibility of additional Indian players joining the league in the future and said they would accept them if they were available. But he clarified that there are not any such plans in existence at the moment.
"We always said that we have worked with the BCCI to see what their views are for the future. South African cricket loves Indian cricketers. It is always a highlight for us to watch the talent of the Indian team whenever they come here to play," said the former South Africa captain
"If the Indian players were available, we would love to have them here. But nothing of that sort is in the pipeline. We always have conversations and probably at the IPL time I will be there in India. We have a very good relationship with them. I was lucky that I played a couple of years in the IPL. We won the first edition with Rajasthan Royals in 2008," he added
Starting in January 2023, the league's 101st game will be the third season finale between MI Cape Town and Sunrisers.
"When the team told me that the second qualifier was the 100th match, I got a bit emotional because of the amount of hard work that has gone into getting to the SA20 where it is now. I started to reflect on so many things, like signing our first employee, meeting the team for the first time, the first auction, and the performances we have seen over the last three years have been incredible," he said