Sunil Gavaskar defends the Indian Premier League against criticism

There is a growing concern amidst the cricket community that the Indian Premier League is becoming too powerful and time-consuming. With reports suggesting that the IPL may be allotted a special two-and-a-half-month exclusive window from the Futures Tours and Programme (FTP) calendar of the International Cricket Council starting from 2024, those apprehensions have only been fuelled more.

If that ends up happening, however, it will just go on to show the power and influence that the IPL holds over the world of cricket and as the richest T20 franchise competition in the world. It is also the only league in the world where the biggest superstars of the globe battle it out on a daily basis in the search of glory.

IPL owners and team managements have also been diversifying their investments. Several IPL team owners have also invested in teams at the United Arab Emirates T20 league and the South African T20 League.

Reports have also surfaced surrounding the fact that star Australian opener David Warner might opt out of the upcoming Big Bash League in order to play in the more lucrative United Arab Emirates T20 league. All of this has resulted in former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who also won the IPL trophy with Deccan Chargers in 2009, to criticize the tournament’s growing monopoly.

“It’s getting a little bit dangerous the grip that it’s having to monopolise that ownership and the ownership of the players and their talents and where they can and can’t play,” said Gilchrist.

However, former Indian captain turned cricket commentator Sunil Gavaskar has defended the league against criticism from what he believes are the ‘old powers.’

In his column on Sportstar, Gavaskar wrote, “It’s been amusing to read that the Indian Premier League is once again seen as a disruptor of the cricketing calendar of other international teams. The moment the news about the South African T20 league and the UAE T20 league came out, the ‘old powers’ started squirming and got their apologists to have a go at the IPL.”

The World Cup winner also went on to add that the fact that IPL has a reserved 75-day allocated window in the international calendar is because some administrators can clearly understand that their players are better off playing in the league than being held back by international commitments.