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Sunil Gavaskar's comments come in the aftermath of Ben Duckett's last-minute withdrawal. Duckett was supposed to play for Delhi Capitals (DC), but withdrew in the last minute in order to focus on red-ball cricket.
Sunil Gavaskar has urged the BCCI to take harsher action on players pulling out of IPL in the last minute. (AFP)Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar has urged the BCCI to take stricter actions on players pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the last minute.
Sunil Gavaskar's comments come after England's Ben Duckett, who was acquired by Delhi Capitals (DC), withdrew from IPL 2026 to focus on his England Test career.
Delhi Capitals had acquired the England batter for ₹2 crore at the IPL 2026 mini-auction in Abu Dhabi last year.
According to the IPL rules, players who pull out in the last minute after being acquired by a team will face a two-year ban from competing in the IPL or even in the auction. This, however, does not apply to those players who have pulled out due to injuries.
Sunil Gavaskar urges BCCI to enforce harsher punishments
"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," Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying by 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," added the former Mumbai cricketer.
This is not the first time a player has withdrawn from the IPL after being acquired by a franchise.
In March 2025, Harry Brook pulled out of the IPL for a second straight year, to focus on his England commitments. He had also withdrawn from IPL 2024 following the death of his grandmother. He was acquired by Delhi Capitals in both the seasons.
In the 2025-26 Ashes series Down Under, Duckett managed to score just 202 runs from 10 innings at an average of 20.20, and a highest score of 42 runs. England lost the five-match series 1-4 as their wait for a first Ashes triumph since 2015 continued.
Delhi Capitals will begin their IPL 2026 campaign with an away match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on Wednesday (1 April).
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