‘I was pulled up by a member’: Sunil Gavaskar reveals how an IPL official questioned him

Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has shared an interesting behind-the-scenes story from his time with the Indian Premier League (IPL) governing body, revealing how he was questioned by an IPL official after personally reaching out to franchise captains for suggestions to improve the tournament.

Gavaskar recalled the incident while reflecting on how the IPL playoff system eventually came into existence. The batting legend explained that he had independently written to the captains of all eight franchises during the early years of the tournament to gather ideas that could help elevate the league further.

Sunil Gavaskar reveals how IPL playoff format idea emerged

Writing in his Mid Day column, Gavaskar explained that most captains responded to his message, although only a few suggestions stood out.

According to the former India batter, one of the most impactful responses came from former Australian wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist, who captained the now-defunct Deccan Chargers.

Gavaskar revealed that Gilchrist suggested a format where the teams finishing first and second in the points table should receive an extra opportunity to reach the final.

"Most replied and while there was no major suggestion, the one from Adam Gilchrist recommending rewarding the teams finishing one and two another crack at the title with the Qualifier and Eliminator was a unique one," Gavaskar wrote.

The legendary cricketer then explained that one member of the IPL Governing Council was unhappy with him contacting the franchise captains directly.

"I was pulled up by a member of the Governing Council, who asked with whose authority I had written to the franchise skippers for their suggestions."

Sunil Gavaskar said he defended his actions by clarifying that he had written to the players in his personal capacity as a former cricketer and captain.

"I told him that I had written in my personal capacity as a former captain and player with the sole intention of seeing how we could make the IPL even better and didn’t need anybody’s permission to write to them."

Gavaskar’s initiative helped shape modern IPL playoffs

The former India opener further revealed that the governing council eventually approved the suggestions, which led to the introduction of the playoff structure still used in the IPL today.

The current system rewards the top two teams in the standings with an additional chance to qualify for the final through Qualifier 1.

Sunil Gavaskar was a member of the IPL Governing Council during the first three seasons of the tournament and later served as the BCCI President for IPL affairs in 2014 following the spot-fixing controversy.