Top Indian players won't be allowed to play in upcoming Saudi Arabia T20 League - Reports

Saudi Arabia has contacted Indian Premier League franchise owners as it wants to start the richest T20 cricket league in the Gulf.

The Saudi Arabian government is foraying into the game of cricket after staging Formula One races, owning Newcastle United, bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the domestic league, and promoting the rival LIV golf circuit.

Officials from the Saudi kingdom have reportedly held discussions with the officials of the Indian Premier League and the owners of the various IPL franchises with the intention of starting the world’s richest cricket tournament in the Gulf nation.

The two sides have been testing the waters with the relationship recently with ‘Visit Saudi’ being a major sponsor for the ongoing Indian Premier League. Also, the Saudi oil giant sponsors the Orange Cap and Purple Cap in the IPL. It also has sponsorship deals with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and BCCI. The kingdom has set the strategic goal of becoming the No.1 tourist destination for India by 2030.

No current Indian players will be taking part in any of the leagues: BCCI official

IPL franchises – such as Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals, and Lucknow Super Giants – are already involved in overseas T20 leagues from UAE, South Africa, USA, and the Caribbean.

But the BCCI has never allowed any contracted Indian or domestic cricketers to participate in any foreign leagues. This has been done since the start of the IPL in 2008, in order to protect the value of the tournament.

However, Saudi Arabia officials have reportedly talked to the BCCI about letting the top Indian cricketers be part of their ambitious T20 league, but an official of the Indian board has denied any such thing.

If BCCI is to be believed, that’s not going to happen any time soon, even though IPL franchises can put their money wherever they want.

“No Current Indian Players Will Be Taking Part In Any Of The Leagues, But As Far As Franchise Participation Is Concerned, We Can’t Stop Them. It’s Their Individual Decision. We Have Seen IPL Franchises Going To South Africa Or Dubai And We Can’t Say No. It’s Their Choice To Have Their Team In Any Of The Leagues Around The World,” a top BCCI official told The Indian Express.

The BCCI providing technical know-how in organizing a T20 league could be a start, with IPL franchises getting another market to invest in.