IPL 2026: Sunil Gavaskar pushes BCCI for tougher penalties on players pulling out

Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has urged the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to impose stricter punishments on players, pulling out of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Recently, England batter Ben Duckett made the last-minute decision not to play in the IPL 2026 after being sold to Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 Crore.

Duckett made the difficult decision to work on his game in county cricket after a poor Ashes series in Australia. As a result, he’s set to face a two-year ban from the IPL, excluding the season he chose not to play. However, Gavaskar feels that it isn’t strict enough for the players, and the BCCI needs to rethink about it.

“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,” Gavaskar told India Today.

He mentioned how teams are forced to have an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle for slow over rates, which has a massive impact on the game. Similarly, the BCCI needs to come up with stricter laws that impact players’ IPL careers.

“Having extra fielder inside the ring is a very effective penalty. Bowlers and fielders would want to move very fast because they want all five fielders outside the 30m circle for the last few overs. So, I think you need some sort of penalty that can have an impact. That has to affect the individual player. So, I don't know how that happens, but it is clearly something BCCI have to sit down and think about,” he added.

DC to begin campaign on April 1

Duckett has become the second player to pull out of IPL and face the ban after his compatriot Harry Brook did so in 2025. Brook is also serving a two-year ban from the tournament following his withdrawal from the 2025 edition, after being bought by the Delhi Capitals at the mega auction.

Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) will begin their IPL 2026 campaign on April 1 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.