Twitter Reactions

‘Isko kaun he lega’ – Fans react as retired Team India cricketer puts his name for SA20 Auctions

Robin Uthappa has put in his name for the SA 20 Auctions in a bid to get to play the second edition of the tournament.

Published on

September 16, 2023

After signing up for the auction ahead of the South African franchise T20 league’s second season, Robin Uthappa may become the first Indian player to participate in the tournament. Naseem Shah and four other Pakistani players might join him after they also put their names for the SA20 auctions. The SA20’s initial season included no players from Pakistan or India.

There are additional Pakistani players in the auction, which is scheduled for September 27 in Johannesburg, despite Uthappa being the sole Indian on the list. This list comprises the all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz, Shan Masood, Usama Mir, as well as the leg spinner Usman Qadir.

Neither a Pakistani player nor one selected via the wild-card system, which enabled teams to sign one player who was not on the auction list, were present in the previous season’s auction. All six SA20 franchises are managed by team owners of Indian Premier League teams, and relations between India and Pakistan, both in terms of cricket and politics are still not good.

This was partly due to the SA20 taking place during a busy home season for Pakistan, but there was also a feeling that their players would be overlooked. Since 2008, no Pakistani cricketer has participated in the IPL.

The Indian Cricket Board had forged a ban on players from Pakistan to take part in the Indian Premier League. This ban was forced after the 26/11 attacks on India in which Pakistan played a crucial part.

Indian players in other franchise tournaments

Players from India, meanwhile, barely ever appear in T20 competitions other than the IPL because the Indian Cricket Board is unwilling to let them participate in other franchise tournaments. Uthappa, last played for India in 2015, although he retired playing for India in September 2022, and retired from the IPL as well at the same time.

Ambati Rayudu, who had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2019, recently took part in the Caribbean Premier League. His presence in the Caribbean franchise tournament sparked a heated debate, given his status as one of the notable names in the domestic circuit.

Fans react as retired Team India cricketer puts his name for SA20 Auctions: