“We will work with the BCCI..” Graeme Smith wants more Indian players to be part of the SA20

Graeme Smith said that he would love to have more Indian players in the SA20.

Former South Africa Cricket Team captain Graeme Smith wants to see more Indian players to take part in the SA20 league. Smith, who is also the SA20 commissioner, said that they will work with the Board of Control for India (BCCI) to find a way to include Indian players in the league.

According to the BCCI’s current policy, no player active in Indian cricket- international, domestic, or Indian Premier League (IPL) – can participate in overseas T20 leagues. So far, Dinesh Karthik is the only Indian player to play in SA20, who was part of the last season. The former wicket-keeper batter was able to participate in the tournament after his retirement from Indian cricket in 2024.

The SA20 league has a strong connection with India, as all six teams are owned by IPL owners. The tournament has witnessed three seasons so far following its inaugural edition in 2023.

We would love to have more Indian players in SA20: Graeme Smith

During a chat with ESPN Cricinfo, Smith said that they would love to have more Indian players in SA20 league and will continue to work with the BCCI over the matter.

“Firstly, we would love to have more Indian players [in SA20]. I think whenever India play in South Africa, you can see the love for the Indian team. The talent is incredible. I think we will continue to work with the BCCI on these things. And I think if that ever changes with the six IPL franchises, I think we’re perfectly suited to be able to attract Indian players,” he said.

“Those type of contracts with Dinesh signing with Paarl Royals is always a direct deal between the franchise [and the player]. And I think, obviously, with retired players and more retired players coming, it’s a balance between attracting that retired Indian player but still keeping your league competitive. And our franchises really want to win, as you’ve experienced in IPL and in SA20. So they’re always looking for the best players who can perform consistently,” he added.

Notably, 13 retired and non-active players had registered for SA20 2026 auction earlier this year. However, none of them were picked by the teams for the next season.

Meanwhile, SA20 2026 has been preponed this year and will be played from December 26, 2025 to January 25, 2026, to avoid a clash with ICC T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be played in February and March next year in India and Sri Lanka.

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