Dinesh Karthik, who will play for the Paarl Royals in the SA20, is the first cricket player from India to do so.

Dinesh Karthik, the former wicketkeeper-batter of India, will play in the SA20, which begins on January 9. As a result, he will be the first Indian cricket player to compete in the two-year-old South African T20 competition.

Prior to the start of the new season, Karthik will become an overseas player for Paarl Royals. It will be his first competition during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after he declared his retirement from Indian cricket earlier this year. After making his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) debut in the Eliminator, the team recruited him as a mentor and batting coach. 

Karthik has also been named the league ambassador by the SA20. Along with fellow ambassador AB de Villiers, he will collaborate closely with the management group to fortify the League's worldwide fan base and increase brand recognition in India and the UK, two important strategic areas.
"I'm thrilled to become an ambassador for the Betway SA20. With some of the greatest players in the world on display and intriguing fresh talent taking the international stage by storm in the first two seasons of the League, things have been electrifying. Being a part of the Betway SA20 is an honor, and I'm excited to collaborate with Graeme and his group," Karthik had previously stated.

Over the course of his 16-year IPL career, he has represented six clubs. In this time frame, With a strike rate of 135.66 and an average of 26.32, Karthik has accumulated 4842 runs. Along with making 37 stumpings, he has also taken 145 catches behind the wicket.

Only retired Indian players are permitted to compete in foreign T20 competitions, according per BCCI regulations. Ambati Rayudu participated in the CPL past season with the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots. In the ILT20, players such as Robin Uthapp and Yusuf Pathan represented Dubai Capitals. In 2022, Suresh Raina competed for the Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10.