India is the biggest cricketing nation in the world - AB de Villiers

The third edition of the SA20 is set to begin on Thursday, January 9, as defending champions Sunrisers Eastern Cape take on MI Cape Town at St George's Park, Gqeberha. Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik will create history during the season as he is set to become the first Indian cricketer to play in the SA20. The legendary AB de Villiers described India as the biggest cricketing nation in the world and expressed his wish to see more players from the Asian country taking part in South Africa's premier domestic T20 competition.

De Villiers, who is a former South African captain, said that he would love to see some of the current Indian players like Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Virat Kohli, among others in action in the Rainbow Nation. However, he admitted that finding a window to allow the current crop to participate in the league will be difficult. De Villiers, however, is hopeful that more retired Indian cricketers will come to play in the six-team tournament in the coming seasons.

"It would be nice to see some Indian players, especially in the peak form of their careers, come over and play. I know it’s difficult with scheduling, the ICC, and the BCCI. Finding windows for various tournaments is very complicated, and I understand the difficulty in that. But yes, if we can’t get the current players, having some retired Indian players involved would be fantastic. It’s already starting to happen, and ultimately, the goal is to generate interest from fans worldwide," de Villiers said while speaking exclusively at a media interaction arranged ahead of SA20.

"To fully capture the attention of Indian fans, we need to involve Indian players. India is the biggest cricketing nation in the world, and having Indian players participate—even retired ones—would make a huge difference," he added.

Also Check: SA20 2025: Schedule, Squads, Live Streaming, Broadcasters & All you need to know

De Villiers hoped that former Indian cricketers like Robin Uthappa and Irfan Pathan, who continue playing in legends leagues around the world, would come to play in the SA20 shortly.

"Some retired players maintain great form for many years after retirement, so having them involved would be exciting. Hopefully, we’ll see more Indian players participating in the future. If I had to pick, I’d choose all the current players: Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Virat, Shubman Gill, and Suryakumar Yadav. Imagine SKY playing here—that would be amazing! But if I think about past players, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik, or maybe even Irfan Pathan come to mind. Some of these players already participate in Masters Leagues around the world. Who knows, maybe I’ll join them in the near future," de Villiers stated.

"Robbie Uthappa still plays a lot of cricket, and hopefully, Dinesh Karthik might come and play a few seasons here to finish his career. While getting current players would be ideal, for now, we can keep hoping and dreaming," he added.