Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has praised the remarkable rise of the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying it has become one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world.
During the SA20 India Day event, Smith highlighted the league’s massive influence and said, “I think a lot of people forget the early years of the IPL. There were many things that had to go well for the league to grow the way it did. The IPL is now one of the biggest leagues in the world across all sports. In our first three seasons, we have seen strong growth in many areas at SA20, and hopefully that will continue.”
Smith, who is the commissioner of the SA20 League, featured in 29 IPL matches, scoring 739 runs, including four fifties. He was also part of Rajasthan Royals’ historic title win in 2008 — the first IPL title.
The former RR opener also shared his thoughts on the importance of developing strong cricketing talent in South Africa. “The most important thing at the core of everything is always the cricket product. Every year the cricket gets stronger and the local player base keeps growing. That has also been the strength of the IPL,” he added.
Looking back at his own journey, he recalled: “When I think back to 2008, the first season of the IPL when I played for Rajasthan Royals, and then look at how the generation of Indian talent has grown, it shows what a strong local base can do. That is what we want to see at SA20 as well, along with world-class players.”
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