Sunil Gavaskar slams uncapped IPL players: ‘Earning crores they don’t deserve’

Sunil Gavaskar believes some young IPL players don't deserve crores.

Former batting legend Sunil Gavaskar was blunt in his criticism of uncapped players who only play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and do not endure the demands of local cricket. According to him, these players are fortunate enough to earn "crores" even though they don't go on to accomplish anything for the senior India men's team.

Among the uncapped players who earned in crores in the 2025 Indian Premier League were Rasikh Dar (RCB), Naman Dhir (Mumbai Indians), Nehal Wadhera (PBKS), Abdul Samad (LSG), Priyansh Arya (PBKS), Ashutosh Sharma (Delhi Capitals), Anshul Kamboj (Chennai Super Kings), and Abhinav Manohar (SunRisers Hyderabad).

Gavaskar discussed how players who consistently endure the domestic cricket grind in the hopes of earning an India cap should be rewarded.

“The argument that it is market forces is not really valid, for more often than not, it is sheer good fortune as some franchises want to take a punt with young talent. Have a look at the uncapped crorepatis throughout the IPL, and you will find that very few have gone on to do big things for India. It’s their good luck that has made them the crores that they actually don’t deserve,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

Gavaskar added that the state organizations and BCCI should consider ways to provide the Ranji Trophy winners additional motivation to play for their state teams every day.

“The BCCI has increased the match fees in recent times, and that’s very good, but if they add the slab system of fees whereby those who play more matches get more, then that would make more players turn up for the Ranji Trophy instead of feigning injury just a month or so before the IPL starts so that they don’t get injured and miss out on the IPL,” wrote Gavaskar.

“If the BCCI can also increase the match fees for the teams that reach the knockouts, then that also would be a great incentive for the players to keep playing further, instead of withdrawing in fear of injury before the IPL. Money is not the issue for the BCCI and its affiliated units, so hopefully, these suggestions will be considered before the new domestic season starts,” he added.

The former captain of India, who was a member of the team that won the World Cup in 1983, also praised Gujarati batsman Priyank Panchal, who recently declared his retirement from all forms of cricket.

Panchal finished his career with 8,856 runs in First-Class cricket, including 34 fifties and 29 hundreds. The batter was the captain of India A for many years, but he never had an opportunity to play for the country.

After realizing that he might never have the opportunity to play for the nation, he ultimately made the decision to quit.

“Priyank Panchal, the former Gujarat captain, made the tough call to quit Ranji Trophy cricket after serving his State for almost two decades. He was part of the Ranji Trophy-winning Gujarat team, but if there’s one regret he has, it would be that he didn’t get the India cap,” wrote Gavaskar.

“He came close to it on a couple of occasions but didn’t have the good fortune to get it. That doesn’t make his contribution to Indian cricket any less than those who have played for India. Sometimes it’s just the misfortune of having been born at the same time as some others who were selected ahead of him and did well enough never to allow him to replace them,” he added.

Since Priyank Panchal was never given the opportunity to play in the IPL, Gavaskar also questioned whether he earned enough money. “Apart from not getting the India cap, he also wouldn’t have much to show in his bank balance, despite spending the better part of his youth trying to make a career and a living out of the game,” wrote Gavaskar.

“It is here that the lopsided nature of remuneration for other domestic tournaments and that of the IPL, another domestic tournament, stands out,” he added.