3 min readMar 22, 2026 09:57 AM IST
Just months after sitting on the guest panel of a Pakistani cricket show during the 2025 Champions Trophy, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has found himself at the receiving end of hypocrisy accusations. The criticism came after the veteran Indian batter voiced his disapproval of Pakistan players being signed by Indian-owned franchises in The Hundred 2026 auction.
Gavaskar appeared as a guest on a Pakistan cricket show, ‘The Dressing Room’, during the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai, where he shared the stage with former Pakistan captains Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.
Clarifying his stance, Gavaskar said, “I did not ask nor got paid for the show I did in Dubai”.
Responding to criticisms, Gavaskar said, “Yes, I have been on commentary panels of ICC and ACC. The revenue went to all the participating countries from the ICC and ACC, but not from an Indian entity as far as I know. I don’t understand how you can say that I am a contributor since I am not making any payment to any commentator, Indian or any other nationality,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.
Pakistan players also feature in other leagues like the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and Major League Cricket (MLC), where many Indian-owned franchises have Pakistan players in their teams. Gavaskar also suggested that those teams should also drop Pakistan players. “I don’t follow the CPL, ILT20, or SA20, so I am not aware who is playing for whom. Yes. If there are Indian owners and they are paying Pakistani players, then hopefully they will stop doing that. I don’t know about other sports and what they are doing. All I am praying for is that Indians stop paying Pakistanis. If you have noticed, the reverse has never happened for decades, if ever.”
Earlier, In a column on Mid-Day, Gavaskar reflected on the Sunrisers Leeds franchise’s decision to sign up Pakistan mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed at the auction table last week for £190,000. Sunrisers are owned by the Chennai-based Sun TV Network, which also owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.
“The furore created by the acquisition of a Pakistani player by the Indian owner of a franchise in The Hundred is hardly surprising. Ever since the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, Indian franchise owners have simply ignored Pakistani players for the IPL,” Gavaskar had said.
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Gavaskar added that the fees paid to the Pakistan cricketers could soon facilitate military operations in the country.
“Although belated, the realisation that the fees that they pay to a Pakistani player, who then pays income tax to his government which buys arms and weapons, indirectly contributes to the deaths of Indian soldiers and civilians is making Indian entities refrain from even considering having Pakistani artistes and sportspersons. Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties. It’s as simple as that,” wrote Gavaskar.
