Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the growing trend of handing India debuts to youngsters during rotational tours, suggesting that the significance of earning a national cap could be diminishing.
The batting great shared his views while discussing India's packed cricketing calendar and the Board of Control for Cricket in India's approach to managing player workloads. While acknowledging the need to rest key players amid a demanding schedule, Gavaskar argued that frequent rotation should not come at the cost of devaluing opportunities at the highest level.
Sunil Gavaskar urges greater value for India caps
India have regularly fielded experimental squads on tours against teams such as Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in recent years, providing opportunities to several uncapped players. However, Gavaskar believes international debuts should remain a reward earned through sustained performances rather than a consequence of senior players being rested.
In his Mid-Day column, he wrote:
"India is blessed with talent and so you can rotate the players but that is cheapening the India cap. The cap mustn’t be given because a player replaces the undroppable player who is rested. It has to be earned."
The former opener stressed that while squad rotation is important, there must be a balance between workload management and maintaining the prestige associated with representing India.
Veteran calls for a stronger pathway to the senior side
Sunil Gavaskar also suggested that aspiring cricketers should establish themselves at the India A and age-group levels before making the jump to the senior national team. According to him, consistent performances across the developmental structure should remain the primary route to international cricket.
The 1983 World Cup winner further expressed concerns about the relentless cricket schedule, warning that excessive action could lead to fatigue not only among players but also among supporters following the sport throughout the year.
He also pointed to instances where established stars have been rested despite being available, arguing that India should look to field its strongest possible XI whenever circumstances allow.
With Indian cricket continuing to juggle player welfare and a packed international calendar, Gavaskar's remarks have reignited the debate around squad rotation and what it should take to earn one of the most coveted honors in the game—an India cap.