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Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers said that one thing the SA20 league can learn from the Indian Premier League (IPL) is to "keep going" despite all the doubts and scepticism.
De Villiers, the Brand Ambassador of the league, was speaking to the media ahead of the start of the third season from January 9 onwards. The defending champions, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, take on MI Cape Town at St George's Park in Gqeberha in the opening clash. De Villiers talked about how everyone doubted IPL in its initial years, but the league kept going and eventually became the sport's biggest franchise league ever. "As for learnings from the IPL, the biggest takeaway is to keep going. It's funny because everyone doubted the IPL in its early years. In 2008, 2009, and maybe even 2010, people were sceptical. It only started gaining serious momentum after that. For SA20, the key is to innovate and improve every season, just like the IPL did. There might be moments where it feels like things are stagnating, but you just have to hold on. Patience is a virtue, and magical things can happen if you stay consistent," said AB de Villiers. He also said that capturing the Indian market and getting more Indian stars to play the league is important given how they are the world's biggest cricketing market. "Graeme (Graeme Smith, league's commissioner) and his team should keep their heads down, focus on innovation, attract crowds, and grab attention globally. It is especially important to maintain interest in India, the world's biggest cricketing market. Getting more Indian players involved and drawing Indian fans to South Africa would benefit both the tournament and the country," he said. "India and South Africa have a strong relationship, going back to figures like Nelson Mandela and Gandhi. The Friendship Trophy (Test series between India and South Africa) embodies this connection. Building on these ties through cricket would be incredible. The key message is not to give up--to keep pushing harder every season," he added. (ANI)
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