Uthappa is a direct acquisition by the Capitals
one of the six franchises participating in the Emirates Cricket Board-approved ILT20. The 37-year-old is one of the first well-known Indian players to retire from cricket to participate in international T20 leagues. Uthappa claimed that despite being an active participant in Indian domestic cricket and the IPL, he was unable to participate in international T20 leagues due to BCCI regulations. Uthappa will be able to fulfill that wish right now when he retires from Indian and international cricket, and he wants to play in other tournaments like The Hundred, the Caribbean Premier League, and the Big Bash League in the future.
I’ve always wanted to participate in international Twenty20 leagues. Uthappa told ESPNcricinfo, “Now that I have retired, it gives me the opportunity.” I consider myself to be an avid gamer. As a result, when I play the game in different environments around the world, I will only be enhancing my own knowledge, experience, and information about the game. Tomorrow if I have any desire to be a mentor, I ought to have some sort of stand when I’m having a discussion with the chaps. All of these experiences, I believe, will add value to that.
In essence, it has to do with expanding as a cricketer
because I haven’t had the chance to play outside of India in different conditions in recent years. I hope to be able to play in leagues not only in Dubai but also outside of the subcontinent, including possibly South Africa next year, England (The Hundred), Australia (BBL), and the Caribbean (CPL). It gives me the opportunity to grow as a person and learn about other cultures, places, and people while also attempting to broaden my horizons. All that will just add to my qualities, all things considered regardless of what I choose to do later on.
Uthappa had a 15-year international career that included 46 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 13 Twenty20 Internationals. He also played 205 IPL games for six different franchises. With a 44-ball 63 in the first qualifier and a 15-ball 31 in the final, he had a late-career breakout with Chennai Super Kings, helping them advance to the 2021 title. He had two fifties in his first five innings of the 2022 season, but his form deteriorated after that, and he only reached double figures once in his final six IPL innings.
Between 2007 and 2012, Yusuf, 40, represented India in 57 ODIs and 22 T20Is. As a finisher, he was a key member of the Rajasthan Royals team that won the inaugural IPL championship. He won the Man of the Match award in the 2008 championship match and still holds the record for the fastest Indian IPL century, scoring it in just 37 balls. With Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014, Yusuf won the Indian Premier League three more times. In 2021, he retired with 4852 T20 runs and 99 wickets.
Other than the Indian Premier League (IPL), the BCCI has barred active Indian players from participating in franchise leagues
Only Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, both of whom play in the T10 League and the Global T20 in Canada, have been able to do so after announcing their retirements. Players have expressed an interest in participating in international leagues; For example, Suresh Raina had suggested in 2020 that the BCCI let players without central contracts look into options in other countries, but the board hasn’t done anything about it.
After India’s semi-final loss at the T20 World Cup in Australia, experts from ESPNcricinfo Anil Kumble and Tom Moody argued that exposure to other countries would help India’s players improve their skills in the format, but other well-known figures disagreed. Flow India lead trainer Rahul Dravid said permitting Indian players to play in abroad associations would hurt India’s homegrown cricket, since various competitions including the BBL, the SA20 and the ILT20 conflict with India’s home season. Ravi Shastri, a former coach for India, and Zaheer Khan, a former left-arm quick for India, shared Dravid’s perspective. Shastri suggested that India A tours provide young Indian players with a lot of exposure to other countries.