'In which profession does one get paid after...': Gavaskar puts condition of Indian domestic cricket under scanner

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has put the condition of domestic cricket in the country under the scanner as he questioned why the constant performers in competitions like the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy do not get the same spotlight as some of the names in the Indian Premier League (IPL). While making a case for his argument, he highlighted the names of Harsh Dubey and Yash Rathod and how their performances went unnoticed in Vidarbha's Ranji Trophy-winning campaign.

The ongoing IPL 2025 season has seen the likes of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Digvesh Singh Rathi, and Ashutosh Sharma, among others, garner the imagination of the country's cricket-loving public. But Gavaskar believes the same adulation and spotlight should be given to players who grind it out every season in domestic cricket.

Gavaskar also said that Kerala should have been the talk of the town after reaching their maiden Ranji Trophy final. He stated the feat was all the more memorable, considering they did it without their star player, Sanju Samson.

"What this IPL has shown is that once again, one performance can catapult an unknown player into the reckoning for higher honours. One performance also means that the whole family, teachers, coaches, clubs and all the aunties and uncles in the town get publicity that they have never had before. This is in stark contrast to performance in the National Championship, the Ranji Trophy, where top-notch deeds do not even get headlines," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"Have you read or seen anything about the families and coaches of two of the star performers – Yash Rathod and Harsh Dubey, for Vidarbha in this year’s Ranji Trophy season? Similarly, has there been anything that highlights the magnificent run that the Kerala team had for reaching the final of the Ranji Trophy? They did this without the talismanic presence of Sanju Samson, who was injured, and that is all the more reason their efforts should have been recognised with a lot more publicity than they have got," he added.

'In which profession one gets paid after the job is done'

The 1983 World Cup winner also urged the state associations to do their job correctly and pay the cricketers under their jurisdiction timely to give them extra incentive for their performances in the long and gruelling domestic season.

"As if to rub salt into the wounds, at the end of the Ranji and domestic Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali seasons, those who have played the whole season do not even make the lowest base price of ₹30 lakh of an uncapped IPL player. This imbalance can be reduced to a great extent if other associations, like Mumbai, match the BCCI’s payments to Ranji players," Gavaskar wrote. S

"Sadly, this doesn’t happen as most associations are happy to keep the huge multi-crore subsidy that the BCCI gives in their bank and hardly even use it for the development of the game in their jurisdiction. Since BCCI fees reach players only after the Ranji season ends, State associations should also pay them an equivalent amount. After all, in which profession does one get paid months after the job has been done? Hopefully, in the next season, more and more State associations will come forward to bolster the income of their Ranji players and incentivise them to play at their best," he added.

Gavaskar, who is viewed as one of the greatest batters the world has ever seen, said that the domestic cricketers not getting their due leaves a sour taste as they play almost thrice the number of matches as in the IPL.

"There are several such stories every year of consistent Ranji performers getting ignored while the razzmatazz of the IPL ensures that one performance in the whole season gets headlines, which are more often than not, way over the top. There are many instances of these one-match performers being out of the game in a season or two, but one season of IPL often gives them much more than a whole career in the Ranji Trophy," said Gavaskar.

"While this imbalance can be attributed to the appeal of the IPL to the masses and thereby the huge broadcast and sponsorship rights, it does leave a sour taste in the mouth, especially for those who play almost thrice the number of cricketing games as in the IPL," he added.