Sunil Gavaskar didn’t hold back when it came to IPL overseas stars. The legendary Indian batsman has urged franchises to be tough on players who pull out of the tournament just before the start of the season and even skip them. He also suggested that some of these players are taking advantage of India’s tradition of hospitality, which he said needs to be stopped.
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In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar expressed his excitement about the upcoming season but warned against players taking their franchises for granted given how lucrative the IPL has become over the years.
INJURIES AND THEN SOME
“Franchise owners go out of their way to accommodate their players, often paying for families to come and spend time with them at no cost to millionaire players, mind you. It’s the Indian way of hospitality that is often misunderstood as a right by some who then try to take advantage of the situation,” Gavaskar wrote.
He admitted that some of the unavailability stems from the injuries he sustained during the grueling T20 World Cup that was held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were hit particularly hard. Harshit Rana, who has established himself as one of the next generation of Indian stars across all three formats, is expected to miss most of the season, according to ESPNCricinfo. For Rajasthan Royals, an all-rounder Sam Curran is expected to be ruled out after being diagnosed with a suspected groin injury, also per ESPNCricinfo.
But Gavaskar made it clear that not all absences are injury-related.
“We’re already hearing about some players who will be unavailable for various reasons, none of which were communicated before they were picked by the franchise. If the franchise owners don’t get tough and drop these players, they will find themselves hampered in their quest to win a title,” he wrote.
“All the planning of putting together a team that they believe can help them win goes by the wayside when the players decide to come whenever they want,” he added.
NOT JUST GAVASKAR
According to a report on Cricbuzz, Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand pacer playing for Punjab Kingsshe is expected to miss the start of the season due to the birth of her child.
It should be pointed out that Gavaskar did not directly refer to Ferguson in his column. However, former cricketer Aakash Chopra was more direct in his criticism, pointing out that Ferguson will miss the first few games and still receive the full amount he was bid for in the auction.
“It’s not a bad thing. Again, don’t judge anyone. You should never judge anyone. I love spending time with my family. When someone tells me to take a vacation, I say, ‘I’m going to take it; I’m going to sit at home.’ I love my family. Be it my kids, my parents or my wife, I spend time with everyone. I love doing it,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“But if you have made a commitment and you are going to leave seven matches just for the sake of it in the IPL, then the teams will have to realize that it is not right,” he added.
This is not an isolated problem. England captain in white ball For example, Harry Brook was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 6.25 crore ahead of IPL 2025 but withdrew from the competition to recuperate and prepare for international commitments scheduled after the tournament.
The IPL has introduced a rule that bans foreign players from the tournament and its auction for two seasons if they withdraw after being picked, except only for injury or health verified by their home board.
One may question whether Ferguson got it right. But the fact remains that until a franchise formally raises a concern, it’s unclear who, if anyone, is actually being wronged.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
23 March 2026 16:56 IST
