Jacques Kallis sees Dinesh Karthik’s SA20 debut as key to attracting more Indian stars

New Delhi: Legendary South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is hopeful that Dinesh Karthik’s upcoming debut in the SA20 will encourage more retired Indian cricketers to join the league. Karthik, who will represent the Paarl Royals in the 2025 season, will become the first Indian player to feature in the SA T-20. He earned eligibility after announcing his retirement from international cricket earlier this year. Karthik steps in as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who chose to opt out of the season.

“It’s wonderful to have quality players, especially from India. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many more Indians joining,” said the SA20 Ambassador during a virtual interaction.

According to the current BCCI policy, Indian players are allowed to participate in overseas leagues only after retiring from all formats of the game, including the IPL.

“It would be nice to have them, yes, definitely, but the obvious reason is that the BCCI will have to look after their own players, so there has to be a fine balance,” the 49-year-old said.

“We are fortunate with the way SA20 has taken off. Having the backing of major franchises involved in the IPL certainly makes a big difference in delivering the product we have now,” he added.

“The IPL is always going to be number one. The product, the quality of players, the audience engagement—it’s on another level, streets ahead of anything else at the moment. We aim to get as close as possible to the IPL and create an exciting product for fans.” Kallis also highlighted the importance of all-rounders in T20 cricket.

“All-rounders give extra joy when they perform well. It’s silly not to develop skills in both batting and bowling. T20 is such an exciting format, and all-rounders play a crucial role in it,” he added.

Wouldn’t like to see Impact Player rule in SA20

Kallis further discussed the controversial Impact Player rule, stating that it hampers the development of all-rounders.

“No, I don’t like the impact player rule because I think it takes away from the all-rounder. We’re trying to produce all-rounders in South Africa, and this rule diminishes that role. So no, I wouldn’t like to see it in SA20,” he said. The former South African captain also expressed his support for reviving the Champions League T20, which once brought together franchise teams from around the world.

“It would be a fantastic idea. Fans would be excited to see so many leagues and top players competing in one tournament,” he added.

Kallis also addressed the congested schedule of franchise cricket, describing it as one of the “main challenges” facing the game.

“With so many leagues being played, there’s bound to be scheduling clashes. It’s tough, but if you provide a good product that attracts viewership and the best players, you can still thrive,” he said.