Follow UsRecently, Aiden Markram became one of the most expensive players in SA20 when he was bought for 14 million Rand at the auction. After playing his trade with Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC), the South Africa T20 International (T20I) captain will play for Durban Super Giants (DSG) in the upcoming season.
Markram continues to play in T20 leagues around the world, and at the same time, continues to be available for South Africa across formats. With plenty of cricketers giving up international cricket to pursue franchise leagues, Markram does not see a problem with that and leaves that to every individual's choice.
"To each their own, to be honest. Each person makes a decision based on where they are at in their lives, what they value in the moment and you can't hold that against anyone really," Markram told Times of India.
"International cricket will always be strong. It will always be the priority for the young cricketers coming through. And if that's the goal and drive in the younger guys, then I still think international cricket is in a really strong space. If you can be a part of one franchise and play in a couple of leagues and still play international cricket, you're really blessed.
"I remember having a good discussion with our big boss, Mr. Sanjiv Goenka, to see how passionate he is about his franchise, but also about international cricket. He's a wonderful man to be able to speak to and bounce ideas."
Along with DSG, Markram also plays for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), both owned by Goenka. The batter believes that playing for the same owner does help with the consistency.
"It does help. I enjoy consistency. I enjoy mingling with good people regularly and that's exactly what this franchise is all about. So, now that I'm with them in two of the leagues, is really awesome. You understand how people work and how best we can all work together, and I think that's good from a longevity point of view," he said.
Speaking of the upcoming T20 World Cup, Markram, who led the team to the final in 2024, feels it is important to have all bases covered. "The focus is on the T20 World Cup and we've had a good couple of previous ICC events and managed to win one. When you get that close, you become quite hungry to want to get the job done fully," he said.
"You do still play to win trophies and we've been chasing a trophy for a while now. It [WTC Final] was a special week for us and to lift the trophy is something, something I, I'll cherish forever for sure.
"It'll be important to have all bases covered. I don't want to have too many preconceived ideas."
Markram is currently in the middle of a T20I series against England, where the three-match series is level at 1-1. The series-decider will be played on September 14 (Sunday) in Nottingham.