The Indian Premier League is known for its competitiveness as well as the amount of money spent on players. That is why it is the biggest cricket league in the world right now. And now we have seen that six IPL franchise owners have also bought all six teams in the South African domestic T20 league, which will provide more options for the players. And we might see some retired Indian players play in international leagues. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra also thinks the same.
Notably, Raina, who is also known as “Mr. IPL” for his consistency over the years in the history of the tournament, didn’t get any buyers in the 2022 auction. It resulted in him sitting down the whole season. And if he does not get any deals in the 2023 season, there are chances that he might look to play in some foreign T20 leagues.
In a video uploaded on his Youtube channel, Aakash said that as the Indian franchise owners have already bought all six teams in the CSA T20 league, it has now become an Indian league in a way. On the other hand, some Indian giants have also bought teams in the UAE T20 leagues as well. The 44-year-old pointed out that in future, retired Indian players might go for these leagues.
He said, “If it keeps growing like this, franchises might want their players to play in different places. I actually see Suresh Raina play. Those who are not playing in the IPL, they are all available. But Raina is a very interesting case. A lot of people might want to spend a lot of money on him.”
Indian franchise owners might look for their players to play in other leagues as well. Because the interest of fans in watching their favorite players play in these T20 leagues will increase. However, as per the condition by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a player who is part of any international league can’t feature in the IPL. So it will be a big question whether the BCCI will show some leniency in such cases.
“The BCCI has understands the situation really well” – Aakash Chopra
Furthermore, Aakash also pointed out the workload of the Indian players. Notably, Ben Stokes, who had announced his retirement from ODI cricket, later revealed that his decision was due to the workload and hectic schedule. However, the 43-year-old said that Indian players would not do that.
Speaking further, he stated that the Indian players had not done that till now, as Stokes did. He added that it is because the BCCI has understood the situation really well. Aakash concluded, “The board has realized very quickly that both the IPL and bilateral series are their tournaments.”
The 43-year-old clarified that the Indian board wants their players to play all 14 IPL games. In order to manage their workload, the BCCI is giving sufficient rest to their players in the series against Zimbabwe, Ireland, and West Indies.
