BCCI dismisses CSK’s request to permit Dhoni to mentor the CSA league team
Despite a slew of IPL franchise owners purchasing teams in the future T20 events to be based in South Africa and the UAE, the BCCI will not amend its stance restricting Indian players’ participation in overseas leagues. According to the BCCI’s current regulation, every contracted India cricketer must resign and renounce all links with the board before participating in any international overseas league.
The involvement of Indian players in overseas leagues was raised after the owners of Indian Premier franchises Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, and Lucknow Super Giants purchased teams in South Africa T20 league.
CSK hoped to hire MS Dhoni as a coach for their CSA T20 league team. Chennai Super Kings, four-time IPL champions and one of the most successful teams in the competition’s history, were aiming to recruit MS Dhoni as a mentor for their CSA T20 team. They were struck a heavy hit, however, when the BCCI reiterated its position on Indian players’ participation in international foreign leagues.
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All of the teams in the forthcoming CSA T20 league have been acquired by IPL franchises, with CSK among them. CSK wanted to appoint their IPL captain as the coach for the CSA team. However, a BCCI administrator halted them, stressing that the player in issue must terminate all relations with the Indian board before joining any other overseas foreign league. Earlier in 2019, Indian wicketkeeper and batter Dinesh Karthik sent a formal apology to the BCCI. This was because Brendon McCullum, who was the head coach of Trinbago Knight Riders at the time, had invited him to watch a Caribbean Premier League game from the team’s dugout.
A BCCI official stated, “It’s clear, no Indian player including domestic players can take part in any other league until he is retired from all forms of the game. If any player wants to take part in these upcoming leagues he can only do so when he cuts off all ties with the BCCI.”
He also added that if CSK wants Dhoni to mentor their team in CSA then he would have to end his journey in IPL. “Then he can’t play IPL for CSK. He has to retire here first,” he said.
Former Australian captain Adam Gilchrist spoke out against the BCCI’s decision to exclude Indian players from competing in other leagues.
“I’m not criticising the IPL, but why won’t Indian players come and play in the Big Bash league? I’ve never had an open and honest answer: Why are some leagues accessing every player in the world? No Indian player plays in any other T20 league,” he had exclaimed.
Sunil Gavaskar, an Indian cricket icon, had responded to the former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, saying, “Some overseas former players have said that the Indian players should be allowed to play the Big Bash or the Hundred.”
“They are concerned about their cricket, which is totally understandable. But when Indian cricket looks to protect its cricket by ensuring that their players stay fresh for their matches and thus restricting them from playing overseas, that is not acceptable to the guys from the ‘old powers’.”
