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Jacques Kallis credits IPL blueprint for SA20’s rise: ‘Best players now want to play here’
Jacques Kallis hails SA20’s rapid rise, crediting Graeme Smith’s vision and IPL-inspired planning for shaping it into a leading global franchise league.
After a sceptical India finally embraced the new T20 format two decades ago, the 2007 World Cup triumph by a young MS Dhoni-led side transformed perceptions overnight. That win laid the foundation for a revolutionary idea, and the IPL was born a year later. T20 cricket was still in its infancy, even for the ‘icon players’, but the league’s franchise model - its structure, player pull, expanding fan base and, crucially, its strategic long-term investment—triggered a talent boom that reshaped Indian cricket.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who featured in the first four IPL seasons and lifted the inaugural title with Rajasthan Royals under the late Shane Warne, saw more than just a player’s experience in the league. For him, the IPL became a blueprint, one he was determined to adapt and implement back home. And while IPL’s success sparked the rise of franchise leagues across the world over the next 15 years, Smith remained patient, waiting for the right moment. That opportunity arrived in 2023 with the launch of SA20, South Africa’s premier global T20 competition.
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Three years on, SA20 has firmly established itself as one of the most attractive leagues in world cricket, for both players and fans. And former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis credits Smith’s vision and IPL-inspired planning for its remarkable rise.
“I think Graeme Smith learnt a lot from the IPL after spending so much time with those guys and wanted to stage a league as close to the IPL as possible. The IPL, by far, is the best league in the world, and Graeme’s vision from the start was to get as close to that standard and make this the second-strongest league. I think he’s very close," said Kallis in response to a question from Hindustan Times during a special interaction with the Indian media, facilitated by SA20 on Tuesday.
"The players respect the league, they enjoy it, and the crowds are coming in, which shows it’s a good product. The owners are present and investing in it because they see it as a strong opportunity. So yes, the two leagues have worked really well together, forming a formidable bond, and players want to be part of it.
When the best players in the world put their hands up to play whenever they’re available, it shows how far this league has come and how much good work has gone into turning it into one of the top competitions,” he added.
Just as the IPL has done over the years, Kallis explained that the most crucial box that the SA20 has ticked is finding young talents like Dewald Brevis and Tristan Stubbs.
“I think what the IPL did for Indian cricket, we were hoping that a similar tournament would take off in South Africa a lot earlier. But now Graeme (Smith) got this tournament going four years ago and I think you can see where it's taken South African cricket.
“These young guys are playing in front of big crowds and in pressure situations and that can only help these guys fast forward their careers, which is exactly what's happened.
“These guys are playing under good coaches, playing with some world-class players, learning and feeding off them. So, that can only bode well for South African cricket as we've seen in the results, not only in white ball cricket, but in the longer formats as well,” he signed off.
