New Delhi: Cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar made a huge claim after the recently-concluded IPL 2022 mega auction. He believes players do not work as hard while playing international cricket as they usually would if the matches are happening round the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
The auction for the 15th season of IPL took place just a day after the end of India's ODI series against West Indies. Gavaskar said the kind of money being offered in the auction would be life-changing for all the players involved.
"The auction is a life-changing one for all the players as it opens doors to a secure future for them and their families," Gavaskar wrote in his column for the Times of India. "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.
"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."
During the two-day mega auction, 204 players went under the hammer, during which all 10 franchises spent Rs 550 crore. India's wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan emerged as the most expensive player in this year's auction with Rs 15.25 crore.
"For those who were unlucky, it's an opportunity to prove that it was a mistake not to pick them and with more matches and teams in the IPL, there is always an opportunity to be a replacement player," said Gavaskar.
“The followers of each franchise will be looking for early signs whether the money that they forked out is going to be worth it. That in itself will create pressure of expectations from the players and that could be a telling factor in these matches," he said.