New Delhi: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has sparked a new debate in IPL 2026, urging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to crack down on players who do not fulfill their assigned roles – with the KKR all-rounder. Cameron Greene Emergence to negotiate not to bowl due to workload concerns.In his column for Sportsstar, Gavaskar questioned the growing trend of all-rounders posing purely as batsmen despite being selected for their dual skills. “A bowler can bowl only four overs in a match… what is stopping him from doing that in a game?” He wrote a scathing critique of workload management narratives.‘If not fit, don’t play’Gavaskar made it clear that players who are not fully fit should be sidelined before the tournament begins. He said it is only fair that a player who is not fit from day one should withdraw and give the franchise an opportunity to select someone else.The former Indian captain rejected the argument that the franchises were informed in advance. “Suggesting that the franchisee was ‘earlier informed’ is not much of an excuse,” he added, questioning the timing and transparency of such disclosures. After Ajinkya Rahane’s “Ask CA” taunt for not bowling to Cameron Greene, Cricket Australia issued a clarification, saying the franchise had been made aware of the situation in advance.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.‘Time for BCCI to step in’Harmonizing with the existing rules, Gavaskar suggested strong intervention from the BCCI. “Maybe the BCCI needs to step in and … introduce something for players who are not available from the first game,” he wrote, referring to the two-year ban imposed on overseas players who leave after being bought in the auction.He stressed that franchises, which invest heavily in players, deserve full commitment. “Don’t franchisees… deserve full commitment?” he asked, highlighting the financial and emotional investment teams.
Other cricket boards are making money for IPL NOCs.
Gavaskar further revealed that the IPL has not only been lucrative for foreign players but has also become a major revenue stream for their respective cricket boards. A lesser-known aspect is that boards get around 10% of a player’s auction fee as part of the No Objection Certificate (NOC) process.The scale of earnings is sufficient. According to Gavaskar, 16 Australian players were signed for Rs 121.65 crore in the recent season, while 12 English players fetched Rs 68 crore. 12 players from New Zealand have earned Rs 33 crore, 17 players from South Africa have earned Rs 71 crore and eight players from West Indies have earned around Rs 59 crore. These figures translate into substantial profits for their respective boards.What makes this layout stand out is its uniqueness. No other T20 league globally shares player auction revenue with cricket boards in this way.
