SA20 will strengthen Proteas cricket: De Villiers

South African legend AB de Villiers. Pic/Getty Images

Just like the Indian Premier League has proved to be a breeding ground for future India players, South African legend AB de Villiers is confident that the Betway SA20 will strengthen the South African team in future.

"There is a lot of potential [in South Africa] and lots of talent, so I feel if you have a strong domestic system, and Betway SA20 is a strong tournament, you will breed really good cricketers from that tournament. These players will gain from that experience and this will ultimately end up in the Proteas side gaining from the SA20 and possibly going on to win a World Cup. I think a really good SA20 this year can help cement itself as a really good domestic tournament globally that will attract a lot of attention from all corners of the world," De Villiers, the brand ambassador of SA20, said recently during an online media interaction ahead of the third edition of the six-team tournament that gets underway on January 9 and will be telecast on the Star Sports network.

De Villiers also felt that while it's in the BCCI's hands to permit Indian players to participate in foreign league, SA20 is a great even for some of the just-retired Indian greats who are hugely popular all over the world. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who retired from international cricket in 2023, will be the first Indian player to feature in SA20 when he represents Paar Royals. "I'd love to see more Indian players involved in SA20. We know Dinesh Karthik will be here this year, which is fantastic, and it's great for the tournament. Hopefully, the BCCI will allow us to get more Indian players in the future to come and join the fun at SA20," added AB de Villiers.