Sreesanth to target Indians-seeking overseas T10 or T20 leagues for much-awaited comeback?

Indian pacer S Sreesanth was banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2013 for his alleged involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal. His seven-year ban from competitive cricket came to a conclusion on Sunday, September 13 and the cricketer is now free to approach the sport again. Moreover, even his home state Kerala Cricket Association have talked about considering Sreesanth return to the field through the upcoming Ranji Trophy tournament if the pacer successfully manages to prove his fitness levels by then.

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Sreesanth return: Sreesanth’s options for comeback includes overseas T20 leagues

Sreesanth is currently aged 37. At his age, while the possibility seems quite dim for the cricketer to make a comeback into the Indian team, older players have indeed performed at the international level before. Moreover, Sreesanth himself recently tweeted out that he believes he can play for another five to seven years. Interestingly, even if the 2011 World Cup-winner fails to make a cut into Kerala’s Ranji Trophy team, let alone making a comeback into the national side, Sreesanth still has options available of getting back into the playing field.

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A few months ago, Sreesanth spoke in favour of Indian cricketers getting opportunities to play in overseas T10 and T20 leagues. He echoed the opinions of Suresh Raina, who had earlier made the same comments. As per BCCI policies, Indian cricketers are not allowed to participate in foreign leagues unless they retire from Indian cricket. One of the prime example in this area remains that of former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who announced his retirement in 2019 and thereafter played in overseas leagues including the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Recently, Yuvraj made a U-turn by making himself available for selection for the Punjab cricket team in domestic matches.

Much like Munaf Patel, Pravin Tambe, Irfan Pathan or Pravin Tambe, Sreesanth can also seek active participation in popular overseas leagues like the Abu Dhabi T10 and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), in case he is unable to bid his return within the Indian circuit during his intended time. With a rise in globally-recognised cricketing leagues, Indian players not affiliated with the BCCI can opt to play in such tournaments.

Sreesanth last played competitive cricket back in 2013 and his impending potential return can also get dampened by the ongoing pandemic. It is likely that any amount of Indian presence is expected to boost sponsorship as well as TV and digital viewership of overseas T20 leagues. However, teams opting for a player having not played for 7 years, might not be something immediate until he proves his fitness.

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Image source: PTI