The second edition of the SA20 league is going on a full swing. The 2024 SA20 season started on Wednesday (January 10) where Joburg Super Kings took on defending champion Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the season opener but the match was washed out due to rain.
All the six teams which are participating in the 2024 SA20 league are owned by the business group of the IPL franchise because of this the competition is also being called mini-IPL.
SA20 teams are owned by IPL franchise
Despite having the same team owners in SA20 and IPL, players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and many other active Indian players are not taking part in the SA20 or other foreign leagues. The likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were used to being busy in international cricket throughout the year, so they can’t take part in SA20.
One such team present in this tournament is also owned by Chennai Super Kings. The name of this team is Joburg Super Kings, they were the semifinalist of the 2023 season of the tournament and is captained by format CSK player Faf du Plessis.
Now, everyone knows that Dhoni has retired from the international cricket, but there are some obligations that hold him from partaking in this tournament, despite the fact that CSK has its own team in the tournament. Let us understand why Dhoni cannot play in this tournament.
Why MS Dhoni cannot play for Joburg Super Kings
But MS Dhoni who retired from international cricket in 2020 is also not eligible to play in SA20. There’s a rule which prevents Dhoni from playing in overseas leagues. Under that rule, BCCI doesn’t allow any Indian cricketers to play in any overseas leagues until and unless he takes retirement from international cricket, domestic cricket, and IPL.
However, the five-time IPL champion and 2011 WC winning captain doesn’t play in international and domestic but he still plays in IPL for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He can’t play in any other leagues till he is active in the IPL.
The chances of Dhoni playing for IPL based franchise in SA20, the Joburg Super Kings (JSK) is very less but he may get involved as mentor or can join in any other role but for that he needs to take retirement from IPL as well.
As of now, JSK which is being led by Faf du Plessis is at the 5th position with two points in two matches.
