‘Something Impactful’: Sunil Gavaskar urges BCCI to ‘impose stricter’ penalties for last-minute IPL pullouts

Veteran Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) to impose stricter punishments for those who pull out of an IPL edition despite being picked in the auction. His call came on the back of England opener Ben Duckett's last-minute withdrawal from IPL 2026 just days before the start of the upcoming edition. Per the rules, Duckett could suffer the same fate as that of his England white-ball captain, Harry Brook, who was banned for two years for pulling out at the last minute ahead of IPL 2025, meaning the IPL could ban Duckett from featuring at least until the 2029 edition.

Bought for INR 2 crore by the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the player auction late last year, Duckett pulled out to concentrate on reviving his Test career. He even penned a sorry note for the DC fans and IPL upon announcing his decision, causing Delhi to seek his replacement at the final hour.

Also read | Ben Duckett triggers 2-year ban policy after pulling out of IPL 2026 to prioritise England Cricket

Add WION as a Preferred Source

In his chat with India Today, Gavaskar didn’t hold back on his assessment of the severity of the punishment, saying it’s not harsh enough or impactful, and the BCCI should look into it to ensure players decide against withdrawing, as Duckett and Brook did.

“It is a tough one… one can understand that he wants to focus on his England Test career,” Gavaskar said in a chat with India Today, stressing Duckett’s priorities.

However, the legendary captain urged the board to impose something stricter because this two-year ban feels like a lesser punishment.

“What should be done is something for the BCCI to think about, because a two-year ban is obviously not working. You have to look at something that will have an impact. As long as it’s not having an impact on the player and his chances of coming back to the IPL, it won’t work,” Gavaskar added.

Trending Stories

Click here to read article