|| CF DESK ||

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has opined that players ‘don’t try hard’ when playing for their country if the Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearby.

Gavaskar feels that IPL auction is “life-changing”, playing international matches ahead of the IPL comes with the fear of picking up an injury that could jeopardise their deals with the franchise.

“The auction is a life-changing one for all the players as it opens doors to a secure future for them and their families. That can also lead to some to not try as hard when playing for their country, especially when the IPL is round the corner, so to speak," Gavaskar told

He further added that since auctions are life-changing moments so often cricketers do not try that hard.

“This is to ensure that there is no injury that will prevent them from being fit for the IPL and missing out on the security that an IPL contract guarantees. So the diving and sliding, or the hard throws from the deep, are not attempted for fear of doing some damage that will mean withdrawal from the IPL."

The upcoming 2022 IPL is expected to start in the last week of March and is scheduled to run till May.

The BCCI is mulling to host the entire tournament in Mumbai, as it offers multiple cricket grounds which would reduce travel, and similar debacle like they faced during the 2021 edition.