The Indian owners have acquired six teams in the T20 league to be started in South Africa from next year. Mukesh Ambani of Mumbai Indians and owner of CSK are among those who own teams. Franchises can generate huge revenue if Indian players make it to these teams. For this, they have asked the BCCI to intervene in the matter.
People close to the board say that the BCCI is considering the matter. The matter will be discussed at the annual general meeting to be held in September. The IPL is largely accepted because Indian players do not play in foreign leagues. Therefore, there is a concern that if there is a change in this regard in the future, it may benefit the foreign leagues and backfire on the IPL.
If Indian players are allowed to play in foreign leagues, then such a decision will be taken excluding the top players. That is, BCCI-contracted players may not be allowed to play in foreign leagues. If that happens, players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah who are playing regularly in the national team will not be able to play in foreign leagues.
BCCI will not allow foreign leagues to grow like IPL. Meanwhile, playing in foreign leagues can help young players gain experience. And pressure from Indian owners will also put pressure on BCCI. If young players are allowed in overseas franchise leagues, the likes of Sanju Samson will be a huge benefit.
Heavy blow for India, superstar out