'Not the way to go ...': Sunil Gavaskar criticises overreliance on raw talent in IPL, urges focus on domestic performances

Sunil Gavaskar (X Photo)

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NEW DELHI: Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has voiced strong criticism of the Indian Premier League ’s (IPL) growing tendency to prioritise raw, untested talent over consistent domestic performers.In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar argued that franchises must shift their scouting focus from state-level T20 leagues and U-19 tournaments to more competitive platforms like the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.“This year’s IPL proved once again that relying on the performances of the state T20 leagues is not the way to go into the auction,” Gavaskar wrote. “It’s far better to go by the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy deeds as these games are a lot more competitive.”The former India captain also highlighted a worrying trend among younger players, suggesting that early fame and financial rewards might be affecting their motivation. “Many of the youngsters not used to so much money lose the motivation and are quite content just to be around rather than perform,” he said.Gavaskar emphasised the importance of temperament and match awareness over flashy, short-term impact. “What is needed is to see when the batting and bowling performances came,” he noted. “The runs and the wickets have to come when it matters.”He also questioned the obsession with strike rates, saying: “Some will justify scoring 15 in five deliveries as it’s a strike rate of 300, but maybe it was important that they batted another 15 deliveries and got 40 to take the team to a win.”Slamming many so-called “six hitters” who dazzled in smaller leagues but flopped on the big stage, Gavaskar concluded that “temperament and timing” must be valued as much as power and potential.

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