Dinesh Karthik will make his SA20 debut for Paarl Royals |courtesy- BCCI/IPL
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Dinesh Karthik will become the first Indian to play SA20
- Players part of the Indian team or IPL cannot play overseas leagues
- Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan previously played the ILT20
Dinesh Karthik will create history on Saturday (January 11) when he takes the field for the Paarl Royals (PR) in their opening match of the SA20 league against double-defending champions Southern Eastern Cape at Boland Park in Paarl.
Karthik will become the first Indian to play in the tournament, which is quickly growing and is widely regarded as the second-best franchise cricket league in the world, behind the Indian Premier League (IPL). Joe Root and Kane Williamson are also making their debuts in the competition this season.
While the world's best players are assembling in South Africa, it is not possible for active Indian cricketers to take part in the tournament.
Why Kohli, Rohit, and Dhoni Among Others Cannot Join Dinesh Karthik In SA20?
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not mandate any active Indian player to take part in an overseas league. The decision is taken to protect the exclusivity of the IPL as well as ensure that Indian players do not skip domestic cricket or national duty.
Any player who signs up for a franchise team in an overseas T20 league will not be eligible to play for the Indian team, their domestic team, or in the IPL anymore. Apart from the BCCI or state association-authorized leagues, active Indian players cannot take part any league within India too. Hence, only retired player can feature in leagues such as the Legends League Cricket (LLC) and similar tournaments.
Karthik has signed up for Paarl only after confirming his retirement from international cricket and the IPL next season. The 38-year-old cannot play for Team India or for any team anymore even if he wishes to make a comeback. In fact, the 2007 T20 World Cup winner has already signed up as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's batting coach and mentor.
Hence, any player who aspires to play for India or IPL cannot join any overseas league. It is worth pointing out that the regulation only applies to Indian players and overseas players can play both the IPL and the SA20.
While Karthik is the first Indian to play in the SA20, Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan participated in the ILT20 in the last couple of seasons, while Ambati Rayudu played in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in 2023. Shikhar Dhawan took part in the inaugural season of the Nepal Premier League (IPL) last month.
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