NEW DELHI: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has sparked a fresh debate on IPL 2026, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to crack down on players not fully performing 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 pitching themselves purely as batsmen, despite being picked for their dual skill sets.
“A bowler can only bowl four overs in a match…what stops him from doing so in the game?” he wrote, in a scathing critique of workload management narratives.
“If you’re not in shape, don’t play”
Gavaskar made it clear that players who are not in top form should step aside before the tournament begins. “It is only fair that a player who is not fit from day one retires and gives the franchise the opportunity to choose someone else,” he said.
The former Indian captain dismissed the argument that the franchises were informed in advance. “Suggesting that the franchise was ‘informed earlier’ is not much of an excuse,” he added, questioning the timing and transparency of such revelations. After Ajinkya Rahane’s jibe of “asking CA” because Cameron Green doesn’t bowl, Cricket Australia issued a clarification, stating that the franchise had been informed about the situation beforehand.
His comments come amid criticism of teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have struggled with bowling combinations, partly due to key players not being available to bowl.
‘It’s time for the BCCI to intervene’
Drawing parallels with the existing rules, Gavaskar suggested stricter intervention by the BCCI. “Perhaps the BCCI should intervene and…introduce something similar for players who are unavailable from the first game,” he wrote, referring to the two-year ban imposed on foreign players who retire after being bought at auctions.
He stressed that franchises, which invest heavily in players, deserve total commitment. “Don’t franchises deserve… full commitment?” he asked, highlighting the financial and emotional investments teams make.
Other cricket boards milk money for IPL NOCs
Gavaskar further revealed that the IPL has not only been lucrative for foreign players but has also become a major source of income for their respective cricket boards. A lesser known aspect is that boards receive around 10% of a player’s auction fee as part of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process.
The scale of earnings is substantial. According to Gavaskar, in the last few seasons, 16 Australian players have been signed for a total of Rs 121.65 million, while 12 English players have fetched Rs 68 million. The 12 players from New Zealand have earned more than 33 million rupees, the 17 players from South Africa about 71 million rupees and eight players from the West Indies about 59 million rupees. These figures translate into considerable returns for their respective boards.
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What makes this arrangement stand out is its uniqueness. No other T20 league globally shares revenue from player auctions with cricket boards in this way.
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