“We have had incredible support and direction from the BCCI and IPL in every choice we have made. Smith stated, “We can only learn from the IPL, which is by far the leader in franchise cricket,” as reported by India Today.
The SA20 2025 will end on Saturday, February 8, after starting last month. The crucial final will pit Sunrisers Eastern Cape against MI Cape Town. Comparing this SA20 season to its other iterations, the league’s popularity has significantly increased.
Graeme Smith, the tournament commissioner, acknowledged the Indian Premier League and the Board of Control for Cricket in India for their invaluable assistance throughout.
Smith also discussed the cordial relationship between Indian cricket players and South African cricket players.
We have consistently stated that we have collaborated with the BCCI to ascertain their perspectives on the future.
Indian cricket players are adored in South Africa. When the Indian team comes to play here, we always look forward to seeing their brilliance,” Smith continued.
We would love to have the Indian players here if they were available: Graeme Smith
The former captain of Proteas talked about his time playing in the Indian Premier League, where he spent the first three seasons with the Rajasthan Royals before spending his final season with Pune Warriors India in 2011.
“We would be delighted to welcome the Indian players here if they were available. But there are no plans for that kind of thing. We always talk, and I’ll most likely be in India during the IPL. We get along well with them. I was fortunate to play in the IPL for a few years. With the Rajasthan Royals, we took home the inaugural trophy in 2008,” Smith said.
Smith also talked about a recent nostalgic experience that made him cry since it included the league.
The amount of effort that has gone into getting the SA20 to where it is currently made me a little emotional when the team informed me that the second qualifier was the 100th match. I began thinking about a lot of things, including hiring our first employee, getting to know the team for the first time, the first auction, and the amazing performances we’ve witnessed over the past three years,” he said.
Together with AB de Villiers, former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik serves as the tournament’s brand ambassador. In addition, the Tamil Nadu batsman-wicketkeeper made history by becoming the first Indian player to play in the SA20 competition.
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