Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has sparked a fresh debate amid IPL 2026 as he has urged the BCCI to crack down on overseas cricketers who do not perform their designated roles for which they are bought during the IPL auctions.
Overseas cricketers like Cameron Green’s minimal role for their respective franchises in IPL 2026 has been criticized by the former cricketers as well as the fans. Green has been restricted by Cricket Australia from bowling in the initial stages of IPL 2026, despite KKR picking him in the role of an all-rounder.
Cameron Green has just managed to score 24 runs across 3 appearances and has averaged just 8 in this edition of the IPL. However, Kolkata would expect something massive from him, as they invested an insane amount of money in him.
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Sunil Gavaskar wishes for the BCCI’s intervention amid workload concerns of overseas players
Legendary Sunil Gavaskar sparked a fresh debate in the IPL amid the controversial moves from overseas cricketers. In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar questioned the trend of all-rounders who have featured 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. Gavaskar’s remarks came amid the criticisms received by franchises like KKR and SRH, who have struggled with their combination, especially with the ball.
Gavaskar cited the existing rules within the BCCI and urged the Indian board to take steps against the overseas players in the IPL. He referred to the two-year ban imposed on overseas players who pull out after being bought in the IPL.
“Maybe the BCCI needs to step in and… introduce something similar for players who are not available from the first game,” he wrote. He also stressed that the franchises that invest so much money deserve some bit of commitment from these players.
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Sunil Gavaskar disregards excuses from cricket boards
Sunil Gavaskar was disgusted by the remark from the cricket boards, who claimed that the franchises were informed in advance. He blasted them for making such remarks, as he questioned the timing and the transparency of those disclosures.
“To suggest that the franchise was ‘informed before’ is not a great excuse,” Sunil Gavaskar added. This was a clear bashing for CA, who claimed the same over Cameron Green not bowling for KKR. He highlighted that Green’s not bowling was conveyed to KKR after the player was picked as an all-rounder in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
He also went on to claim that players who don’t think they can perform to the best of their abilities should step aside and withdraw from the competition. “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.
Gavaskar reveals the backstory behind NOCs for the IPL
The Indian great Sunil Gavaskar then went on to reveal that the IPL has not only been lucrative for overseas players but has also turned into a significant source of revenue for the cricket boards. He revealed that though this is not a well-known fact, the boards earn upto 10% of the player’s auction fees in order to grant the NOCs.
As per Gavaskar’s latest revelations, the 16 Australian players have been signed for a combined Rs 121.65 crore, while 12 English players have fetched Rs 68 crore. New Zealand’s 12 players have earned over Rs 33 crore, South Africa’s 17 players around Rs 71 crore, and eight West Indies players close to Rs 59 crore.
This clearly means that a portion of these might be handed to the boards, which are a sizable revenue for them. Sunil Gavaskar further mentioned that no other T20 league has ever had such a unique arrangement.
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