“No Indian player can take part in any other league”- CSK can’t use MS Dhoni as mentor for Johannesburg franchise in SA T20 league, confirms BCCI

Amid all the rumors regarding MS Dhoni mentoring CSK’s Johannesburg franchise in the inaugural SA T20 League, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has clarified that no Indian player can take part in any other league until retirement.

As a result, Dhoni won’t be taking part in any capacity in the tournament, be it as a mentor or coach. He is yet to retire from the Indian Premier League (IPL), though he called time on his international career a while ago. MSD will next feature as an active cricketer in IPL 2023.

Speaking to Indian Express, a BCCI official said:

“It’s clear, no Indian player including domestic players can take part in any other league until he is retired from all forms of the game. If any player wants to take part in these upcoming leagues, he can only do so when he cuts off all ties with the BCCI.”

It's worth noting here that all the franchise teams in the South African T20 League have been bought by IPL team owners. This led to speculation regarding the participation of Indian players for the South African T20 franchises.

However, the BCCI has followed a strict policy of not allowing any active Indian cricketers to play in any foreign leagues. Players who have ventured into playing in tournaments like the Big Bash League (BBL) have done so after severing their links with Indian cricket completely.

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Faf du Plessis & Moeen Ali join CSK’s Johannesburg franchise

As per multiple reports, RCB’s Faf du Plessis and England all-rounder Moeen Ali will play for CSK’s Johannesburg franchise.

While Du Plessis has won multiple titles with CSK, Moeen Ali won his maiden IPL trophy with the Yellow Army in 2021. Ever since he joined CSK, Moeen has become an integral part of the franchise.

Meanwhile, the management is planning to appoint Stephen Fleming as head coach. They could also consider Suresh Raina as a mentor as he has taken up the commentator's role after not getting picked by any franchise in the IPL mega auction earlier this year.

The six franchises in the SA T20 league have been bought by the following IPL teams — MI (CapeTown), LSG (Durban), SRH (Port Elizabeth or Gqeberha), CSK (Johannesburg), RR (Paarl), and DC (Pretoria).

The CSA T20 league is likely to be played between January 6 and February 12. The tournament is set to clash with the UAE’s ILT20 and the BBL.

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