Mumbai Indians is one of the Six Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise to successfully bid for a franchise in the new South Africa T20 league that is to be played from January next year.
The most successful team in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is expanding their business and is now heading towards the new South Africa T20 league that is to be played next year.
With no official announcement yet but as per report, the franchise has got the rights to base their team out of Cape Town. The South African league will be looking to build a reputation just like the IPL and Mumbai Indians would want to be a great part of the competition. Meanwhile, the franchise could even pick-up some familiar name to be a part of their brand.
Today in this article, we take a look at 4 former Indian players who may be picked up by the Cape Town franchise. Must note that no Indian players are allowed to play in any T20 leagues other than the retired players. Thus, we have only included players who have retired.
RP Singh
Rudra Pratap Singh (RP Singh) is the first player in our list who may consider returning back to the game. The left-arm pacer is just 36-years-old and retired from all forms of the game in 2018. However, at 36, he could still deliver valuable numbers. However, it seems unlikely that he will play the game again now and is currently enjoying his role as a commentator. He played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2012.
Parthiv Patel
Former Mumbai Star opening batsman Parthiv Patel is another big name who may consider giving it go one more time. The 37-years-old Gujarat batsman has played for India in International scenes and announced his retirement in 2020. At 37, Parthiv can still be a valuable addition and given how players are still giving their best in their 40s, Parthiv Patel can think of it of approached by Mumbai. He played for the Mumbai Indians from 2015 till 2017.
Unmukt Chand
Now coming to a more realistic options, the first name who could be a part of the list who will register for the league is former India U19 World Cup winning captain Unmukt Chand. Chand never played to his potential and was almost vanished after a couple of years after the World Cup success.
He was a part of the Mumbai Indians squad in 2015 and 2016 but couldn’t cement his place. He announced his decision to retire from playing for India in 2021 and currently plays in America. Unmukt became the first Indian to play in the Big Bash League and might still be in contention for a spot there as well.
Harbhajan Singh
Former India and Mumbai Indians player and legendary Indian off-spin bowler Harbhajan Singh is another name who may consider featuring in the South Africa T20 league. While Harbhajan Singh has not announced his retirement yet, but no longer plays cricket and is currently a member of Punjab Parliament. He may consider playing in South Africa league if Mumbai Indians can convince him. He played for the Mumbai based side from 2008 till 2017.