Sunil Gavaskar snaps at ex-Pakistan cricketers for their remarks on Indian IPL stars

Over the years, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been integral in mending relationships between players from different countries. The fiery battles on the pitch have been mellowed out due to players competing alongside one another.

Ahead of the IPL 2023 Schedule, former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar came forward and talked about the same. He opined that over the past few years, the IPL has been integral in bridging the gap across the world. 

"When two of the top-ranked teams play against each other, then sparks are bound to fly. However, since the IPL began, the animosity between players of the two teams has lessened considerably while the intensity hasn't reduced one bit, and that's how it should be," Gavaskar wrote in his column in Mid-Day.

He also talked about the exclusion of Pakistani players from the IPL. Except for the first season of the IPL, Pakistani players have been banned from competing in the tournament due to the political tensions between India and Pakistan.

"While there will always be a bit of banter between players, the angry and sometimes vulgar exchanges are a thing of the past. Today, if there are any such issues, they're invariably between players who don't play in the IPL and thus have a bit of resentment towards the Indian players who play against them. Some of them believe that their achievements are such that they should be getting more than the Indian player, who gets millions through the IPL," Gavaskar added.

Gavaskar also talked about how ex-Pakistani cricketers gain attention

Sunil Gavaskar also came forward and put forth his views about how ex-Pakistani players who talk about Indian players to gain attention on social media. The 73-year-old also opined that it is a trick used to gain followers and reach.

"It has almost become a daily affair to hear some former players from across the border, pulling down an Indian player by saying that the Pakistani player is better. What these guys know is that they will immediately get a response from the Indian fans, who will defend their favourite player, thus increasing the number of followers of these former players from across the border," Gavaskar wrote.