Photo Credit: Cricket Netherlands
It is one of the most sensational ‘transfers’ in Dutch cricket history. Nootdorper Bas de Leede (22), who is having a top season with the Dutch national team and his club Voorburg CC – leader in the Top class – has signed the Indian IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
It does not mean that Bas will immediately play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) – according to many the international ‘cricket walhalla’. He will, however, participate in the new ILT20, which will be organized in the United Arab Emirates from January 6 to February 12, 2023.
The ILT20 is a new Twenty20 tournament in which six teams participate. Four of these teams have an Indian owner. The teams are required to include two cricketers from Associate countries in their squad. This offers opportunities for players from countries such as the Netherlands, Scotland, the United States and Nepal. Furthermore, they can ‘just’ contract players from top countries, as has been customary in the IPL for years. Bas’ team will be called MI Emirates.
Bas is ‘over the moon’ with the contract: “This is what you dream of as a cricketer: soon you will find world top players in one of the major stadiums in the Emirates. For example, three of my teammates will be West Indians Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Nicholas Pooran. Another teammate is Afghan legspinner Rashid Khan, also a world star. Playing in the IPL will be even more difficult given the high competition, but this is a great first step.”
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians is the most successful team in the IPL. The team, which featured living legend Sachin Tendulkar, has won the IPL five times, once more than Chennai Super Kings.
The media rights of the IPL from edition 2023 were recently sold for five years to STAR India for USD 6.2 billion. The Disney Corporation was behind the curve, but announced that it would purchase other IPL-related media packages.
High Performance Manager KNCB Roland Lefebvre: “We are extremely proud and excited that Bas has been contracted by the Mumbai Indians for the inaugural ILT20 competition in Dubai to be played in January 2023. Bas’ hard work has led to an extremely successful summer against the best teams in the world. His performance in the ILT20 will be followed with great interest.”
Former international and now KNCB board member Reinout Scholte: “This is a great opportunity for Bas and a reward for his hard work and development as a cricket talent and as a person. His selection will no doubt be a source of inspiration for young cricketers.”
Bas de Leede
Bas has been seen as a great talent since his youngest youth, but has shown enormous progress, especially in the past one and a half years.
In April 2021, in a T20 against Nepal, he scored 81 runs from 42 balls with 7×4 and 5×6.
In June 2022, Bas played three ODIs against England with Orange. He stood out with scores of 28, 34 and 56.
In July, the semi-finals of the T20 Word Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe turned to entry into the T20 World Cup, to be held in Australia in October and November 2022. Bas became Man of the Match with two wickets for 23 runs and a fantastic innings of 91 not out in 67 balls (9×4, 3×6).
In early August, he made 66 and 53 not outs in two T20s against New Zealand.
