The highly anticipated 2025 edition SA20 the league will start on January 9 at St George’s Park, Gqeberha. Sunrisers Eastern Cape face to face MI Cape Town in the opening match. This season marks an important milestone Dinesh Karthik becomes the first Indian cricketer to play in the league playing for Pearl RoyalsA sister franchise of the IPL Rajasthan Royals.
AB de Villiers expresses his wishes for Indian players in SA20
South African cricket legend AB de Villiersserving as the league’s brand ambassador expressed his enthusiasm for the Indian players participating in the SA20. In a recent media interaction, De Villiers praised Karthik’s inclusion and hoped that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will allow more Indian cricketers to participate in the tournament in future.
“I would like to see more Indian players participate. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year, which is fantastic and great for the tournament. We hope BCCI will allow more Indian players to join the fun of SA20 in future.” De Villiers said.
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De Villiers picks five Indian stars to take part in the tournament
While acknowledging the challenges posed by BCCI’s current policy of restricting active Indian players from competing in overseas leagues, De Villiers shared his desired picks for the SA20. He expressed his desire to have Indian players, especially those at the peak of their careers, in the SA20 league, stressing the excitement and quality they would bring. De Villiers highlighted his top picks from the current crop of Indian cricketers jasprit bumrahRishabh Pant, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gilland Suryakumar Yadav would like to play in South Africa as a player.
“It would be nice to see some Indian players come and play, especially at the peak of their career. If I had to choose, I would choose all the current players: Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Virat, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav. announced.
De Villiers highlighted the excitement that players like Suryakumar can bring to the league.
“Imagine SKY playing here – that would be amazing!” De Villiers shouted.
De Villiers addresses some retired Indian players
De Villiers reflected on former Indian cricketers who could bring value to the SA20 league, naming Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan as potential players he would like to include. He noted that some of these retired stars are already active in various Masters Leagues globally, demonstrating their continued skill and appeal.
“When I think of past players, I think of Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik or even Irfan Pathan. Some of these players are already participating in Masters Leagues around the world.” he added.
