Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his concerns regarding the BCCI's decision to increase the salary cap for uncapped players, a move that he believes may negatively impact younger players in the future. He urges the BCCI to reverse this ruling and limit the salaries for uncapped player retention in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
In 2025, the BCCI reinstated a rule previously scrapped in 2021, which allowed players who had not represented India for four consecutive years to be retained as uncapped players with a maximum salary cap set at 4 crore rupees. This change allowed former CSK captain MS Dhoni to be retained by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) under this category.Â
Gavaskar criticized this decision, stating
"To accommodate Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became an uncapped player before the auction last year, the limit was raised to Rs 4 crore." He described the move as a disappointing example of prioritizing convenience over merit.Â
He further noted, "In all these years, it is hard to recall an uncapped player bought for huge sums who has justified his inclusion in the team.
Gavaskar observed that players often perform better when their salaries and the associated pressure are lower. He expressed concern that the inflation in player salaries might put immense pressure on young players, potentially hindering their performance. To safeguard these players, Gavaskar insists that the BCCI should revise this rule.
Here is the list of players in the IPL teams falling under the uncapped rule.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB): Yash Dayal
- Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh
- Delhi Capitals (DC): Abhishek Porel
- Punjab Kings (PBKS): Prabhsimran Singh, Shashank Singh
- Gujarat Titans (GT): Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan
- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG): Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni
- Chennai Super Kings (CSK): MS Dhoni
- Mumbai Indians (MI): Tilak Varma
- Rajasthan Royals (RR): Dhruv Jurel
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Nitish Kumar Reddy
For Latest IPL 2025 UpdatesÂ
