Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc (Image Agency) Sunil Gavaskar has come down heavily on several overseas players for opting out of the early stages of the 2026 Indian Premier League, accusing them of taking the league’s hospitality for granted and urging franchises to adopt a tougher stance.A number of notable absentees are set to miss the opening games. Australia’s pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc will be unavailable for the first three matches due to fitness issues, with Cricket Australia reportedly managing their workload in a demanding schedule. Meanwhile, Lockie Ferguson will also miss a few games as he spends time with his newborn child.
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IPL 2026 should be an audition for India’s next T20I captain In his Sportstar column, Gavaskar did not mince words in his assessment of the situation, pointing out what he said was a recurring problem with some overseas players.“It is also common for the franchise to take for granted some overseas players who will be unavailable due to injury and personal reasons,” Gavaskar wrote. “Franchise owners cater to their players who often pay for families to come and spend time with players without the expense of millionaire players, remember that. It’s the Indian way and hospitality that is often misunderstood by some as a right and then try to take advantage of the situation,” he added.He further warned that such late unavailability disrupts team balance and planning and urged franchises to take decisive action.“We’re already hearing about some players who won’t be available for a variety of reasons, none of which were communicated before they were picked by the franchise. If the franchise owners don’t get tough and let go of these players, they’ll find themselves hampered in their efforts to win a title. All the planning in putting together a team they believe can help them win goes out the window whenever the players decide,” he said, when they decide to come.Gavaskar’s remarks echo similar concerns raised by others in the cricketing fraternity. Aakash Chopra recently criticized Ferguson’s absence, while Ravichandran Ashwin suggested that Kolkata Knight Riders should consider reducing the value of Cameron Green’s contract if he is unable to play during the season.As IPL 2026 begins, the debate over player availability and franchise planning is back in the limelight.
