While there are several domestic T20 franchise leagues around the world, the stars of Indian cricket are mostly seen in the Indian Premier League (IPL) exclusively.
Big names like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni have even been linked to the same IPL franchise for over a decade now, and continue enjoying success and fame.
However, there have been former Indian international cricketers who after making a name for themselves in the IPL, also went on to represent foreign T20 franchises.
Indians who played in foreign T20 leagues: Yuvraj, Dhawan, and more
1) Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik has had a long and storied career as an Indian cricketer. He won the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup, and his Nidahas Trophy heroics are unforgettable. In the IPL, Karthik lifted the title in 2013 with the Mumbai Indians, and was a part of RCB’s management unit in their 2025 winning campaign.
However, he also played for the Paarl Royals franchise in South Africa’s SA20 league earlier in the same year.
2) Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa was also a part of the Indian squad in the 2007 T20 World Cup. He has won the IPL twice, once with KKR and then with CSK.
Then in 2023, he went to play for the Dubai Capitals franchise in the ILT20 league.
3) Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh is one of the biggest names to emerge out of Indian cricket, playing instrumental roles in the nation’s 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup wins.
He has also won the IPL twice, with SRH and MI, and then went on to play for the Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 Canada tournament in 2019.
4) Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan, once India’s prolific opening batsman, played in the Nepal Premier League for the Karnali Yaks.
Prior to that, he had represented the Men in Blue in several tournaments, won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy, and the IPL with SRH in 2016.
5) Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin is the latest Indian to join this list, winner of the 2011 ICC World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, and 2 IPLs with CSK.
After announcing his retirement from international and IPL cricket, he went on to sign with the Sydney Thunder in Australia’s Big Bash League.
