Former India Captain Sunil Gavaskar has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India to introduce stricter penalties for overseas players who withdraw from the Indian Premier League after being picked in the auction, warning that the current system is failing to deter last-minute pullouts.
The debate has resurfaced following England opener Ben Duckett’s withdrawal from IPL 2026, adding to a growing list of high-profile absences that have raised concerns among franchises and league stakeholders.
Gavaskar: current IPL ban rule ‘not working’
Under existing IPL regulations, overseas players who pull out after being signed—without a verified injury—face a two-year ban from both the tournament and future auctions. However, repeated withdrawals have exposed gaps in enforcement and effectiveness.
Gavaskar believes the rule lacks real deterrence.
“It is a tough one. Clearly, Ben Duckett had a very good Ashes series, and if he had not been bought for the amount he was at The Hundred auction, maybe things would have been different. One can understand that, having been bought at a very good price in The Hundred, he was probably quite happy to miss this and say he wants to focus on his England Test career,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“But yes, what should be done is something for the BCCI to think about as well, 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,” he added.
Ben Duckett withdrawal highlights wider issue
Duckett, who was signed by Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore, opted out of the 2026 season shortly before the tournament began, choosing instead to prioritise his England commitments and red-ball cricket.
His decision follows a demanding international schedule and mirrors previous cases, including Harry Brook, who also withdrew after being picked and is currently serving a two-year ban.
For franchises, these late withdrawals disrupt squad planning, commercial strategy, and fan engagement—particularly when marquee overseas names are involved.
Call for ‘impactful’ penalties that affect players directly
While Gavaskar stopped short of proposing a specific alternative, he emphasised that any new sanction must directly impact players to be effective.
“I don’t know. I am not on the governing council. I haven’t thought about it. Like for example, every time, when we talk about penalising, when you talk about penalising teams bowling slowly, by having another fielder inside the 30 metre circle rather than outside, that is a penalty that can have an impact on the game,” said Gavaskar.
“That’s a very effective penalty. Bowlers and fielders would want to move very fast because they want all five fielders outside the 30m circle for the last few overs. So, I think you need some sort of penalty that can have an impact. That has to affect the individual player. So, I don’t know how that happens, but it is clearly something BCCI have to sit down and think about,” he added.
A growing governance challenge for the IPL
The issue underscores a broader governance challenge for the IPL as it continues to position itself as cricket’s premier global T20 competition.
With increasing overlap between international schedules, franchise leagues like The Hundred, and bilateral commitments, player prioritisation is becoming more complex—and, at times, commercially disruptive.
For the BCCI and IPL franchises, the key question now is how to enforce stronger contractual accountability without deterring global talent—especially as competition between leagues intensifies.
What comes next for IPL regulations?
Gavaskar’s comments are likely to intensify pressure on the BCCI to revisit its withdrawal policies ahead of future seasons.
With repeated cases highlighting the limitations of the current two-year ban, the governing body may need to consider alternative mechanisms—potentially financial penalties, stricter contractual clauses, or innovative in-tournament sanctions—to ensure greater player commitment.
As the IPL ecosystem grows in value and complexity, ensuring reliability from its global player pool is becoming not just a sporting issue—but a critical business priority.
