Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment over some overseas players not showing professionalism by skipping the upcoming 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The IPL is about to enter its 19th year in 2026. Before each season, a few International players often withdraw for various reasons, such as personal issues, workload management, or legitimate injuries.
Gavaskar pointed out that players who miss the IPL for non-injury reasons disregard the commitment of Indian franchises. He highlighted that IPL teams invest considerable time and resources to build competitive squads, and when these players opt out, it disrupts their preparation.
“Some overseas players take the franchise for granted when they express unavailability for personal or non-injury reasons. Franchise owners make extensive efforts to support their players, sometimes even covering expenses for players’ families to visit. This generosity is often misunderstood as an entitlement, which some players exploit,” Gavaskar noted in his column for Sportstar.
“We are already hearing that some players will not be available for various reasons that were not communicated before the franchises selected them. If franchise owners don’t start making tough decisions and drop these players, their chances of winning the title will be affected. All the planning that goes into the squad can fall apart if players choose when to join,” he added.
As the 2026 IPL season approaches, Australian bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood are expected to join their teams after missing part of the tournament due to workload management from Cricket Australia, ahead of a busy international schedule. Both Hazlewood and Cummins are returning from long-term injuries that kept them from playing in the Ashes series.
Starc, however, participated in all five Test matches against England and played five matches for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League.