Crores paid for IPL, commitment missing? Gavaskar's savage swipe at overseas stars
Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has called for stricter BCCI action against IPL players not performing their roles. He questions workload management excuses for all-rounders not bowling. Gavaskar also revealed foreign cricket boards earn significant revenue from player No Objection Certificates for the IPL.
This system is unique to the IPL globally.
NEW DELHI: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has sparked a fresh debate in IPL 2026, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to crack down on players who do not fully perform their designated roles — with KKR all-rounder Cameron Green emerging as a talking point for not bowling due to workload concerns. In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar questioned the growing trend of all-rounders featuring purely as batters, despite being picked for their dual skillsets. “A bowler can bowl only four overs in a match… what is stopping them from doing so in the game?
” he wrote, in a stinging critique of workload management narratives. ‘If not fit, don’t play’ Gavaskar made it clear that players who are not fully fit should step aside before the tournament begins. “It is only fair that a player not fit from day one should withdraw and give the franchise the chance to pick someone else,” he stated.
The former India captain dismissed the argument that franchises were informed in advance. “To suggest that the franchise was ‘informed before’ is not a great excuse,” he added, questioning the timing and transparency of such disclosures. After Ajinkya Rahane’s jibe of “ask CA” over Cameron Green not bowling, Cricket Australia issued a clarification, stating that the franchise had been informed beforehand about the situation.