Sunil Gavaskar Reveals He Was Once Scolded By An IPL Official: 'I Told Him...'

Last Updated:May 11, 2026, 15:46 IST

Sunil Gavaskar reveals he was once rebuked by an IPL Governing Council member for seeking captains suggestions.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has revealed he was once ‘pulled up’ by a fellow IPL Governing Council member for writing letters to all eight captains, asking for their suggestions to improve the league. Gavaskar, who was part of the Governing Council for the first three years, recalled telling the unnamed member that he didn’t need ‘anybody’s permission’ to try to help the IPL.

Gavaskar is one of India’s greatest-ever batters. For many in the country, he’s still the best batter to represent the tricolor and has maintained the same reverence since joining the commentary box. Ultimately, those letters to the captains led to one of the most unique and appreciated changes to the league: the Qualifier and Eliminator format, with the top two teams in the league getting two chances to reach the final.

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“Many years ago when I was in the IPL Governing Council, I had in my personal capacity written to the captains of the eight franchises asking them how the IPL could be made even better than it was," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid Day. “Most replied and while there was no major suggestion, the one from Adam Gilchrist recommending rewarding the teams finishing one and two another crack at the title with the Qualifier and Eliminator was a unique one," he added.

“I was pulled up by a member of the Governing Council, who asked with whose authority I had written to the franchise skippers for their suggestions. I told him that I had written in my personal capacity as a former captain and player with the sole intention of seeing how we could make the IPL even better and didn’t need anybody’s permission to write to them. It was now up to the Governing Council to accept or not. They did and now it’s something that each franchise tries to do. Finish in the top two, so they can get another bite of the cherry," Gavaskar said.

The legend concluded by saying that the then Governing Council members treated IPL like their ‘baby’, and are now delighted ‘to see the baby grow into such a good-looking adult’.

News cricket Sunil Gavaskar Reveals He Was Once Scolded By An IPL Official: 'I Told Him...'

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