Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar recently highlighted the negative aspects of the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying that youngsters “go out of the fire” after getting huge salaries. While it cannot be denied that the T20 league has been a great boon for Indian cricket, it has some negative aspects as well. Many young talents have been ruined by failing to cope with the media hype and all the attention and money that comes with big contracts.
Sunil Gavaskar also pointed out in his column for Sportstar that many players lose the enthusiasm to perform after earning big contracts in the IPL. Gavaskar Said:
“Then, having been bought for crores, some of these youngsters lose the fire in the belly and are happy to cruise along in later years and get their contracts extended, even if it is for a lesser amount,”.
It is worth noting that Unmukt Chand was considered one of the most talented players in India after winning the (Indian Cricket Council) Under19 World Cup in 2012. He got an IPL contract soon after but failed to realize his true potential. He eventually lost his place in the Delhi team and headed to Uttarakhand before shifting his base to the United States, where he was recently seen playing the trade in Major League Cricket.
Also Read: Team India Led By Jasprit Bumrah Leaves For Ireland T20
“It’s A Different Game Of Pressure And Expectations” – Sunil Gavaskar On Players Failing In International Cricket After Doing Well In IPL
Sunil Gavaskar emphasized that the Indian players struggled badly with the changes during the recently concluded five-match T20I series against the West Indies. Team India lost 2-3 under the leadership of Hardik Pandya.
Apart from Tilak Verma and Suryakumar Yadav, all other Indian batsmen were in poor form. Players like Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson failed to grab the opportunity against the Windies, who failed to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
“A player could do well at the franchise level, but when it comes to playing for the country, it’s a different ball game of pressures and expectations,” Gavaskar wrote. “It is one step up, which can be too steep for even some of the best performers at the franchise level.”
Gavaskar Added:
“How often have we seen this when the Under-19 performers just aren’t able to take that one step up from a boys’ tournament to a men’s competition?”
The Indian think tank will try a different set of players in the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland, which will be led by Jasprit Bumrah. They are currently auditioning for the next T20 World Cup in 2024. The three T20Is will be played on August 18, 20, and 23 at Malahide in Dublin.
