‘IPL is the beast’: SA20 looking to be ‘biggest league’ outside of Indian T20 giant, says Graeme Smith

“We know that the IPL is the beast and we want to be the biggest league outside of India,” Smith said in an interaction with Indian media. “We got a lot of the early building blocks right like the IPL – good cricket, fans coming to the games and so on.”

Considered one of South Africa’s most succesfull captains of all time, Smith was among the biggest names when the IPL launched in 2008. He played for the Rajasthan Royals in the first three seasons and then for Pune Warriors India in 2011.

‘We have got the core right’

Smith has been leading the SA20 since its inception and said that it is quite obvious that the IPL stands many notches above the rest of the T20 leagues of the world. However, the SA20’s ultimate aim is to establish itself as the best of the rest, which it already has to a certain extent with players telling Smith that the level of competition in the tournament is extemely high.

Smith said that the league has also tried to bring in some local elements into the fan experience to cater to the South African cricket watchers but the core of what the IPL got right is something that the SA20 has also been able to accomplish thus far. “We obviously bring in South African elements in terms of what we do for entertainment, what our fans enjoy locally in the stadium. That experience is obviously a bit more tailor-made to South Africa. But I think the core that we need to get right, we have done that. If we can develop a league that can grow at the second level alongside the IPL we would be very happy,” said Smith.