Waste of money: Sunil Gavaskar blasts IPL franchises for heavy spending on talent from state-level T20 leagues

Legendary Indian cricketer and broadcaster Sunil Gavaskar has raised concerns over the trend of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises investing heavily in players emerging from state-level T20 leagues and junior cricket.

The success of the IPL has not only inspired cricket boards across the world to launch similar tournaments but also led various state associations under the BCCI to create their own T20 leagues in recent years.

Sunil Gavaskar criticizes IPL teams for investing in emerging players from state T20 leagues

The latest addition to this growing list is the Delhi Premier League (DPL), which kicked off last weekend. DPL, like others, aims to discover and showcase new talent. These leagues have increasingly attracted the attention of IPL franchises, with some teams willing to spend big money on standout performers in the tournaments.

A notable example is the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), as the five-time IPL champions made headlines for signing Sameer Rizvi for an astonishing Rs 8.4 crore last year for his batting heroics in the UP T20 League.

Well, many IPL teams are keen to invest in players who have excelled in these new leagues, but Gavaskar has expressed doubt about this approach. The legendary batter said that spending crores on players who shine in state leagues is a "sheer waste of money."

The former Indian skipper argued that the standard of cricket in junior leagues or state-level T20 competitions is significantly different from domestic tournaments like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and even more so from the high standards of the IPL or international cricket.

It is not a great idea and a sheer waste of money: Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Mid-Day: “We have already seen how most under-19 players struggle to get their footing at the first-class level as the standard of the opposition is way higher than in the junior tournaments.

"Similarly, those who shine in the State T20 leagues don’t necessarily replicate their performances in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL as the standards are much higher there. The franchises are finding out that forking crores for players shining in the State Premier leagues is not a great idea and a sheer waste of money.”

The Indian domestic cricket season kicks off with the Duleep Trophy 2024, and Gavaskar believes that this tournament will provide the national selectors with valuable insights into which players are prepared to advance to the next level and represent the country.

Gavaskar signed off by saying, “The Indian cricket season begins with the Duleep Trophy starting in a couple of weeks’ time and it’s good to see that this time around all the internationals will be taking part in it. That is the one sure way the selectors will be able to see if the bowlers and batters are good enough to take the next step to the international level.”

Notably, the upcoming IPL 2025 Mega Auction is expected to be a two-day affair, just like the 2022 auction. While the auctions for the 2023 and 2024 seasons were held in December, the IPL 2025 Auction is likely to be scheduled for either December 2024 or February 2025.