Sunil Gavaskar has called for a rethink of India’s packed cricket calendar, warning that players cannot be expected to move endlessly between international series and tournaments without adequate breaks.
Gavaskar’s comments come amid growing concerns over player workload and injuries in Indian cricket. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently linked the increasing number of injuries to the volume of cricket being played, with the board looking for ways to address the issue.
With the ICC preparing to discuss the international calendar for the four-year cycle beginning in 2027, Gavaskar wants player workload to be considered while deciding the schedule.
The former India captain used a pointed analogy to underline his concern, arguing that Indian cricketers should not be treated as resources that can be continuously pushed to their limits.
Gavaskar also questioned the tendency to equate India’s ability to field multiple teams with genuine depth in the system. According to him, the national side is only the outcome of a much larger cricketing structure and should not be viewed as synonymous with Indian cricket itself.
He stressed the importance of domestic cricket in maintaining that structure and producing the next generation of players. While India have often been praised for their bench strength, Gavaskar believes recent results show that depth on paper does not automatically translate into a consistently successful national team.
His argument comes at a time when the demands on India’s leading players have increased significantly. International cricket, domestic competitions and franchise tournaments have created an increasingly crowded calendar, leaving limited windows for recovery and preparation.
For Gavaskar, the solution cannot simply be to rely on India’s large pool of players. A strong domestic system remains essential to ensuring that the national team continues to have quality replacements when injuries or workload concerns force players out.
He also linked the upcoming Asian Games to the wider picture, hoping India’s men’s and women’s teams can win gold and use the success to build confidence for future assignments.
The bigger concern, however, remains the structure of the calendar itself. As the ICC prepares to map out the next four years, Gavaskar’s message is clear: protecting players and strengthening domestic cricket have to be part of the conversation if India wants sustained success across formats.
