Sunil Gavaskar: IPL owners need to start getting tough and drop overseas players, who decide to come whenever they want

The Sportstar Aces awards evening was, as always, an evening to remember. It is such an incredible feeling to be in a room with the Indian champion athletes, who have brought medals and glory to the country. That the President of the Indian Olympic Association, the incomparable PT Usha graced the function and also spoke tells you how highly regarded the event is.

Not only was there a celebration of the champions and winners of today and the hopes of the future, but there was also plenty of nostalgia in the air with the felicitation of Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, M. D. Valsamma, Nari Contractor, and the Australian fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath, alongside the presence of former women cricketers Chanderkanta Kaul, Pramila Bhat, Sudha Shah, Purnima Rau, Diana Edulji, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Nilima Joglekar, Sandhya Agarwal, Anju Jain, and Jhulan Goswami.

The many sponsors and institutions as also States, who generously and selflessly contribute were also there to show their solidarity with Indian sports. It truly was an evening to cherish and warm the cockles of the heart. No praise is too high for The Hindu Group, who have over decades been showcasing the world of sport through their sports pages and through this magazine especially at a time when reading does not quite seem to be the favored pastime of so many.

Over the next couple of months cricket fans will be consumed by the best T20 league in the world, the Indian Premier League. With the Royal Challengers of Bengaluru winning its first title last year after an 18-year wait, will this year also see a first-time winner like Punjab or Delhi? Out of the eight original franchises these two are now the ones left without the coveted trophy and will be going all guns (or should it be missiles and drones?) blazing to get their hands on the prize. There will also be the perennial negative guys trying to bring down one of the great sporting properties in the world and the country’s pride, with their views and articles suggesting lower ad revenues, lower viewership, lower crowds and whatever.

READ | IPL injury tracker — comprehensive update on players missing 2026 season

With a tight season that also had the ICC T20 World Cup, there are some injury concerns with the bowlers and that is a major headache for most of the teams. There is also the usual taking the franchise for granted issue with some overseas players, who are not going to be available for non-injury and personal reasons. The owners of the franchises go out of their way to accommodate their players often paying for families to come and spend time with the players at no cost to the millionaire players, mind you. It’s the Indian way and hospitality, which often is misunderstood as a right by some and who then try and take advantage of the situation.

We are already hearing about some players who will not be available for a variety of reasons, none of which were informed before they were selected by the franchise. Unless franchise owners start to get tough and drop these players, they will find themselves being hampered in their efforts to win the title. All the planning in forming the squad which they believe can help them win, goes out of the window when players decide to come whenever they want.

Still, it promises to be the tournament that even the carpers secretly keep a tab on and one where the evenings till 31st May will be like hardly ever seen before.

Published on Mar 22, 2026