Foreign players walking out mid-season in IPL 2026 has stirred up things all over again. Former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar is pretty upset about it. He is now vocal after Delhi Capitals lost Ben Duckett, who quit the tournament out of nowhere. Gavaskar hit out at the BCCI, saying their two-year ban just isn’t enough to stop foreign players from ditching teams like this. He wants stricter rules and hefty fines, not just a slap on the wrist.
The little master is frustrated with how some overseas stars grab a big contract, and then at the last moment bail out, usually on the pretext of “personal reasons”. It really puts the teams in a tough spot because they are count on these players. Gavaskar thinks the Board needs to step up and take this seriously, with tougher punishments.
Right now, BCCI rules say if any player withdraws after the auction for anything other than a medical emergency, then the player is banned for two years. But Gavaskar isn’t impressed. He says that’s way too soft. He believes the Board should hit players where it hurts. He suggests taking a chunk out of their match fees or their auction money.
Gavaskar said, “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.”
“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,” the former Indian batter added.
Duckett’s absence has messed up Delhi Capitals’ batting lineup even more, especially since injuries are piling up this season. His exit has made things tough for team management and now everyone is waiting to see if BCCI listens to Gavaskar and decides on new, stricter IPL rules.
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