Former India great Sunil Gavaskar has given a strong warning to foreign players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. Gavaskar has said that those who are not willing to play the full season should not be allowed in the auction at all. The IPL 2026 auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. Gavaskar criticised overseas players who make themselves available only for a part of the Indian Premier League, calling it disrespectful to the world’s biggest T20 league. Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
There are some players who have made themselves available for a limited period. Frankly, if a player doesn’t show respect to the IPL and make himself available for the full tournament, he shouldn’t even be in the auction. If something other than a national commitment is more important to him, then not one second of the auction should be wasted on him. The IPL is the best T20 league in the world, and anybody taking it lightly should not be considered at all,” Gavaskar said.
The comments come at a time when Australian wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis is in the news for his limited availability. Inglis, who played for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025, was released by the franchise. Head coach Ricky Ponting had already said earlier that Inglis’ limited availability was the reason behind the decision. Inglis has now registered for the IPL 2026 auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore. There have been several instances in the past when overseas players have withdrawn from the IPL mid-season. Star Australian pacer Mitchell Starc was one of the players who didn’t return this year after the IPL 2025 was halted due to India-Pakistan skirmishes. Jake Fraser-McGurk also withdrew due to safety concerns caused by the war. Both played for the Delhi Capitals.
Apart from Inglis, four more overseas players have reportedly informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of restricted availability for the season."Ashton Agar (65 per cent) and William Sutherland (80 per cent) of Australia, Adam Milne of New Zealand (95 per cent), and Rilee Rossouw of South Africa (20 per cent) have indicated the extent of their likely participation in the season.
The IPL 2026 player auction is set to take place on 16th December at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The BCCI confirmed the venue in an official announcement. This marks the third occasion the IPL auction will be conducted outside India, each time in West Asia. The 2024 auction was held in Dubai, followed by the two-day 2025 edition in Jeddah. The upcoming 2026 auction, by contrast, will return to a single-day format.
