As of now, three franchises are part of the UAE league (ILT20), on the other hand, six teams are part of the league in South Africa (SA20).
BCCI Discourage Overseas Leagues: The IPL franchises’ participation in foreign tournaments has reportedly angered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The BCCI expressed their disapproval to the individual franchise owners hours before the start of the IPL auctions in Kochi.
Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals are the three franchises currently playing in the UAE league (ILT20), while Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, SunRisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals are the six teams currently competing in the league in South Africa (SA20). Also included in the West Indies Caribbean Premier League are Kolkata and Punjab (CPL).
“That was the point. They tried to discourage them from participating in foreign leagues. They understood those who are already there. But they tried to dissuade us from taking such steps in the future,” statement by BCCI official.
In fact, all six teams in SA20 are IPL subsidiaries and it is being seen as a mini-IPL.
Among those present at the meeting were BCCI secretary Jay Shah and IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal.
When asked for a clarification, the BCCI played it diplomatic, saying that they can’t stop owners from ‘looking after their business interests.’
“Not really. Other boards have all the right to start their leagues. But we have seen that the IPL is way ahead. A few of them (franchise owners) have interests in other leagues. They have to look after their business interests. We can’t stop them. They have money in their kitty, so it is their choice,” IPL chairman Arun Singh Dhumal told the website.
The South Africa-based SA20 and UAE-based International League T20 (ILT20) commence earlier next year. While SA 20 kick off Jan 10 and end on Feb 11, ILT20 will run from Jan 13 to Feb 12.
Among other issues at the meeting, the BCCI brought up the matter of centralized merchandising.
“The suggestion was that both the BCCI/IPL and the franchises will collaborate and get involved in the merchandising which could benefit all parties, including the fans. The BCCI also promised the upgradation of infrastructure to the teams at the IPL venues,” the report stated further.
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