'One season of IPL gives them much more than a career in Ranji Trophy': Sunil Gavaskar on pay disparity

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has highlighted how the Indian Premier League (IPL) has fostered cricket talent in India since 2008, while also pointing out the stark disparity between IPL and domestic cricket earnings. In his column in Sportstar, he discussed how the tournament has produced stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, and others while enabling domestic players to compete alongside international talent.
The IPL's impact on young talent is evident with recent signings like 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who was acquired by Rajasthan Royals for Rs 1.1 crore.
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Players who have emerged from the IPL include KL Rahul, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Kuldeep Yadav, demonstrating the tournament's role in developing cricketers who later succeed at higher levels.
"What this IPL has shown is that once again, one performance can catapult an unknown player into the reckoning for higher honours. This is in stark contrast to performance in the National Championship, the Ranji Trophy, where top-notch deeds do not even get headlines," Gavaskar wrote in his column.

The former India batter addressed the significant earnings gap between IPL and Ranji Trophy players.
"There are many instances of these one-match performers being out of the game in a season or two, but one season of IPL often gives them much more than a whole career in the Ranji Trophy. While this imbalance can be attributed to the appeal of the IPL to the masses and thereby the huge broadcast and sponsorship rights, it does leave a sour taste in the mouth, especially for those who play almost thrice the number of cricketing games as in the IPL," Gavaskar stated.
He also suggested a solution to address this financial disparity in Indian cricket.
"As if to rub salt into the wounds, at the end of the Ranji and domestic Vijay Hazare, Syed Mushtaq Ali seasons, those who have played the whole season do not even make the lowest base price of Rs 30 lakh of an uncapped IPL player. This imbalance can be reduced to a great extent if other associations, like Mumbai, match the BCCI's payments to Ranji players," he added.
The IPL continues to provide domestic players opportunities to learn from international stars while offering substantial financial rewards.