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Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed disappointment over the absence of key Indian bowlers in the ongoing 2024 Duleep Trophy. With the India–Bangladesh Test series commencing on September 19, prominent players such as Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja have been missing from the tournament’s early stages. Gavaskar, in his column for Mid Day, emphasized that the absence of these star bowlers makes it difficult to accurately assess the abilities of the participating batters. He also urged for a stronger domestic structure, advocating for Indian stars to partake in domestic cricket when not engaged in international matches.
Gavaskar’s Concerns Over Absence of Senior Bowlers in Domestic Cricket
Sunil Gavaskar expressed his disappointment at the absence of India’s premier bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja in the ongoing 2024 Duleep Trophy. With the senior bowlers missing, Gavaskar highlighted that it becomes challenging to assess the quality and performance of the batters in the tournament, as they face less experienced bowlers. He pointed out that this limits the selectors’ ability to gauge the true potential of the players who are performing well in domestic matches.
Gavaskar further emphasized the importance of Indian stars participating in domestic cricket to strengthen the overall cricketing structure. He suggested that the schedule for red-ball tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy should be planned in a way that allows national players to participate in some of the matches. According to Gavaskar, this would not only enhance the competition but also provide a clearer assessment of emerging talents.
The Impact of State T20 Leagues on Player Evaluation
Gavaskar also criticized the proliferation of state T20 leagues in India, arguing that these tournaments do not offer a true measure of a player’s ability. He noted that while scoring runs or taking wickets in these leagues might seem impressive, the quality of cricket is not as high as that seen in international matches or even the Indian Premier League (IPL). Many players who excel in these state leagues often struggle to maintain their performance when faced with the intense competition of the IPL.
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Drawing a parallel with matches between Associate nations, Gavaskar highlighted that the performances in state leagues can sometimes be misleading. He mentioned instances where batters have been able to score big, with some even equaling records like Yuvraj Singh‘s six sixes in an over, due to the lack of high-quality opposition. He used the example of Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee‘s rapid half-century in the 2023 Asian Games to underline his point that performances in such contexts need to be taken with a grain of salt when evaluating talent.
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