Karthik, set to play for the Paarl Royals in the 2025 SA20, will become the first Indian cricketer to feature in the league. He became eligible to play in the tournament after announcing his retirement from Indian cricket earlier this year.
Karthik joined the Royals as a replacement for Jos Buttler, who opted out of the season.
“It’s wonderful to have quality players especially from India. Hopefully it’s the start of many Indians coming,” SA20 Ambassador said in a virtual interaction.
Under the current BCCI policy, Indian players are only permitted to participate in overseas leagues after retiring from all formats of the game, including the IPL.
“It would be nice to have them yes definitely, but the obvious reasons are 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.
“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.
“Allrounders 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 allrounders play a crucial role in it,” he said.
The conversation then diverged into discussing the contentious Impact Player rule, with Kallis expressing that he is opposed to the rule. Stating, that it hinders the growth of an all-rounder.
“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.”
The former South African captain also endorsed the idea of reviving the Champions League T20, which previously brought together franchise teams from across the globe.
“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 spoke on the jam-packed schedule of franchise cricket in the calendar year said it’s 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.”
