Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the decision-making of several IPL franchises during the 2026 auction, suggesting that many teams spent massive amounts on young and largely untested players who had little experience beyond state and city-level competitions.
According to Sunil Gavaskar, franchises were persuaded to invest heavily in players who had shown promise in local leagues but had not yet proven themselves at a higher level. He believes many teams later realised that their scouting departments had failed to accurately assess talent and had instead been influenced by hype surrounding certain players.
Several youngsters attracted significant bids despite limited domestic experience. Among them were Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, both signed by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 14.20 crore each. Royal Challengers Bengaluru paid Rs 5.20 crore for Mangesh Yadav, while Kolkata Knight Riders spent Rs 3 crore on Tejasvi Dahiya. Lucknow Super Giants also invested Rs 2.60 crore in Mukul Choudhary.
However, their performances did not always justify the investment. Prashant Veer featured in six matches for Chennai, batting only once and conceding 90 runs while taking two wickets. Tejasvi Dahiya played two games and scored 18 runs, while Mukul Choudhary managed 170 runs in ten appearances. Kartik Sharma delivered a few match-winning performances and had a relatively better season, whereas Mangesh Yadav did not get a single game.
In his column for a sports magazine, Sunil Gavaskar argued that many big hitters who dominate state and city tournaments struggle when faced with the significantly higher standard of bowling in the IPL. He pointed out that the quality of cricket in these local leagues is often far below what players encounter in the tournament, making it difficult to judge whether standout performances truly reflect IPL-level ability.
He further suggested that when a franchise spends crores on a player and then barely uses him, it is often a sign that the team’s scouts and advisers made an incorrect assessment. Sunil Gavaskar added that the IPL quickly exposes players who are overrated or overvalued.
The batting great also noted that some players continue to earn contracts after producing just one memorable performance, often in matches that have little impact on their team’s campaign. In his view, there are enough such one-match wonders to form multiple teams, yet many continue to be picked year after year despite limited success.
Do you agree with Sunil Gavaskar?
