SA20 India Ambassador Dinesh Karthik shared his insights on the exhilarating Season 3 of the SA20 league in a recent media interaction. Karthik, who has played in high-pressure leagues such as the IPL, emphasized the uniqueness of SA20 and its growing global appeal.
On SA20 creating excitement and a fan following, not just in South Africa but also in India and other countries, he said: "A couple of things. First, there's always an inherent rivalry in good domestic cricket, and South Africa, as you can see, has a lot of those rivalries. Add to that the fact that Indian corporates have taken over those franchises, and all of them participating in SA20 already have their rivalries and challenges from the IPL. So, it kind of carries over into the tournament. As we all know, the IPL is well-watched around the world, and South Africa is no exception.
"These rivalries have really helped the quality of domestic cricketers who have come through. For example, if you take the final, MI Cape Town played with just two foreign players, and nine were locals, which shows the strength of the squad in terms of domestic players and the trust they have in them. And that's always a very healthy sign. A lot of leagues have a higher number of foreign players than domestic ones. So, I think SA20 stands out. The quality of cricket played over the 30 days was consistent and top-notch."
On SA20 being the most competitive league after the IPL, he said: "I think, at the moment, SA20 is the most competitive league after the IPL. I say this purely because of the quality of domestic talent available. When you speak to domestic players, they have been working hard to be part of this competition. It matters a lot to them, and that’s a very healthy sign. Secondly, the fact that Indian owners, already pre-existing in the IPL, are helping grow the game in their domestic circuit is another big plus. That’s what you ideally want — not just a strong team for the competition, but also an investment in grassroots, so that it eventually helps in the long run. That’s great to see during SA20."
On how tournaments like SA20 help players prepare for bigger tournaments and national duties, he said: "Look, if you play a competitive tournament like SA20, the first thing is that your confidence increases. The confidence you gain and the pool of players you can draw from is the biggest advantage of having a tournament like SA20. The confidence of players increases, and they’re better prepared to play in bigger games, important matches. We’ve seen in the last two World Cups that South Africa has done really well in knockout matches, which used to be an issue. I’m sure SA20 has helped and played a part in this, and the player pool has increased."
On the possibility of participating in SA20 again in the future, either as a player or in another capacity, he said: "I would be more than happy to play again. I thoroughly had a terrific experience, and I would love to go back."
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