AB de Villiers hopeful about SA20 emulating IPL's success
AB de Villiers retired from IPL after the 2021 season
The inaugural season of the SA20 League is upon us, with six-teams fight it out for the coveted trophy, which begins on January 10. Former South African skipper AB de Villiers hopes that the tournament will emulate the success of the Indian Premier League going forward.
Speaking to Cricket South Africa, de Villiers, who participated in the IPL from 2008 to 2021, wished that the South African domestic talent would get good exposure and give a base to budding cricketers.
The SA20 competition will feature — MI Cape Town, Durban Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, Pretoria Capitals, and Joburg Super Kings — all of the franchises are run by IPL team owners.
"It was a huge occasion for me and a lot of the other players. The start of the IPL changed our lives. The people are really passionate about cricket. Not only with the home team but they support members in other teams as well. I think the SA20 comes at a really good time for South African cricket.
We have seen the amazing things that these leagues have done to cricket in particular nations. To give our youngsters this base and the foundation to get exposure at the highest level against the best players in the world is what it's all about," de Villiers said.
The former Royal Challengers Bangalore legend played 184 IPL matches and amassed 5,162 runs at an incredible strike rate of 151.7. However, his beloved IPL franchise doesn't own a team in the inaugural South African league.
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