Gone are the days when the Indian Premier League (IPL) had no high-profile transfers. The ten franchises no longer just depend on the auction, and planning to bolster their squads is done throughout the year. Ahead of the 2026 season, Sanju Samson made his way to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and just after the conclusion of the edition, the Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants wasted no time in swapping players (Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant). However, the biggest trade in the competition’s history so far is Hardik Pandya joining the Mumbai Indians from the Gujarat Titans before the 2024 season.
And the same Hardik is once again in the conversation as the rumour mill has it that the all-rounder might be on his way out of the five-time champions’ squad. However, nothing concrete has been put in the public domain yet. And this is where Sunil Gavaskar wants some transparency.
Gavaskar argued that when a trade happens in the IPL, the exact numbers are known only to the BCCI, the concerned franchise, and the player, while the remaining teams are kept in the dark, which can raise questions about whether the rules were followed.
The former India captain stated that all financial details after the trade should be put in the public domain so that every stakeholder stays in the loop, saying it is not about two parties alone.
Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar calls out blame game over rising injuries, gives CoE clean chit: ‘Important to be match-fit than gym fit’
“There’s some speculation in the media about the possible switching of players from one franchise to another. There’s, of course, still some time for that window to be closed. However, while transfer of a player from one franchise to another is in the public domain, when a trade takes place, then the numbers are known only to the two franchises, the player and BCCI,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
“In such a situation, the other franchises don’t know if the salary cap that every franchise has for its squad was maintained or breached. That’s why it’s important for full transparency that the numbers are also out in the public domain,” he added.
‘No finger pointing’
The 1983 World Cup further urged the BCCI to ensure full transparency to prevent finger-pointing from a section jealous of the IPL and its growth.
“The IPL is the greatest T20 league in the world, and it’s therefore crucial that full transparency is maintained so that there’s no finger-pointing at it from those jealous of it,” wrote Gavaskar.
Recently, Rishabh Pant left LSG after stepping down as the captain and joined the Delhi Capitals. On the other hand, LSG acquired Kuldeep Yadav from the Lucknow franchise.