Indian Players Should Not Be Allowed In Overseas Leagues: Dinesh Karthik

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes that Indian players should not be allowed to participate in overseas leagues. For any Indian (men's) cricketer to participate in overseas leagues, he should first announce his retirement from the Indian domestic competition, and only then will he be allowed to do so.

Karthik, who recently announced his retirement and played in the SA20 for Paarl Royals, says that the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the crown jewel of world cricket and reckons that the BCCI has every right to protect it in the way they find suitable.

"I am a big believer that the IPL should be the crown jewel for the BCCI. It is at the moment. The IPL is the crown jewel of world cricket. For that to maintain their status quo as No. 1, I believe Indian cricketers shouldn't be allowed to play in overseas leagues unless they are retired,” Karthik said, according to India Today.

"The players can take their call because if they feel they are done with IPL, they can move on to other leagues. I completely stand along with the BCCI on that front."

Karthik also believes that there are enough opportunities in India for players to develop, and at the same time, there is financial security as well. “I agree you can always argue, asking 'should youngsters be given an opportunity [to play in overseas leagues]?' But I think there is enough and more in India in terms of competition and ways of being secure financially," Karthik said.

"The IPL is a great platform. There is good domestic cricket and all the state franchise leagues as well that's happening right now as we speak."

Karthik,39, will return to the IPL next season as the batting coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) - a franchise he has been associated with since 2022.