Some Players Won't Work Hard Playing For Country When IPL Is Round The Corner, Reckons Sunil Gavaskar

Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion that players do not work hard for national teams when the IPL auctions are around the corner.

The IPL 2022 auction that took place last weekend saw 204 players get sold for an aggregating sum of 551.7 crores amongst 10 teams for the next edition of the tournament.

Ishan Kishan made a resounding comeback with the five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians after the franchise snapped him up for a colossal amount of INR 15.25 crore.

Deepak Chahar (14 crores to CSK), Shreyas Iyer (12.25 crores to KKR), Shardul Thakur (10.75 crores to DC) and Avesh Khan (10 crores to LSG) were the top Indian picks in the mega auction in terms of paychecks.

Gavaskar said that players will ensure they keep themselves charged up for the IPL season and do not get vulnerable to injuries, which can rule them out of the tournament.

No injury that will prevent players from being fit for the IPL: Sunil Gavaskar

The former Indian captain explained this mentality can have adverse effects on players while playing for the national team just before the IPL.

“The auction is a life-changing one for all the players as it opens doors to a secure future for them and their families. That can also lead to some to not try as hard when playing for their country, especially when the IPL is round the corner,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Times of India.

“This is to ensure that there is no injury that will prevent them from being fit for the IPL and missing out on the security that an IPL contract guarantees. So the diving and sliding, or the hard throws from the deep, are not attempted for fear of doing some damage that will mean withdrawal from the IPL,” he added. 

For those who were unlucky, it’s an opportunity to prove: Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar also advised the players, who were left out in the auction, to keep working hard as the opportunity can knock at any time on the door.

“For those who were unlucky, it’s an opportunity to prove that it was a mistake not to pick them and with more matches and teams in the IPL, there is always an opportunity to be a replacement player,”  Gavaskar mentioned. 

“The followers of each franchise will be looking for early signs of whether the money that they forked out is going to be worth it. That in itself will create pressure of expectations from the players and that could be a telling factor in these matches,” he added. 

The 15th edition of the IPL is expected to commence in the last week of March.

Also Read: IND vs WI: Harshal Patel Deserves Every Penny That He Has Earned At IPL 2022 Auction: Sunil Gavaskar