What if Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar graced the IPL?

What if Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar graced the IPL?
28 Apr 2025

The advent of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008 redefined modern cricket. Explosive batting, tactical bowling, and field placements are seen as by-products of the same.

But imagine a parallel universe where two Indian greats, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, took center stage in T20 cricket.

How would their classical skills adapt to this high-octane format? Here we decode the same.

Kapil Dev: An impactful fast-bowling all-rounder
Kapil Dev

Even in today's contemporary cricket, Kapil would have easily been the most valuable player.

Famously known as The Haryana Hurricane, Kapil graced the era of fast-bowling all-rounders in the 1980s.

In the IPL, Kapil would have handled the new ball well besides being impactful at the death.

Apart from being a fierce strike bowler, Kapil's finishing skills with the bat would have come handy.

Sunil Gavaskar: Technical top-order batter
Sunil Gavaskar

In the 1970s and 1980s, Gavaskar emerged as the most prolific batter. He was the first-ever player to reach 10,000 Test runs.

Gavaskar's meticulous technique would have made him a top-order batter in the IPL. He would possibly play the anchor, reminiscent of Virat Kohli's role.

Although Gavaskar usually maintained a low strike-rate, his knack for finding the gaps would have stood out.

The captaincy angle!
Fact

Both Kapil and Gavaskar would have drawn attention from several franchises for the captaincy role. While the former led India to the historic 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup title, Gavaskar captained the side in 84 internationals.

What would be the probable auction value?
Value

Kapil would have been a complete package for any franchise in the IPL.

He would certainly trigger a bidding war among teams, with an estimate final value of around ₹20 crore.

Meanwhile, Gavaskar could be seen as a value pick. He would bag a contract worth ₹5-10 crore.

Gavaskar, in 2018, stated that Kapil would have gone for "₹25 crore in the IPL today."

Legacy of the two legends
Legacy

Gavaskar, known as the Little Master, is one of the greatest openers.

He was part of India's 1983 World Cup campaign, wherein the Kapil-led side scripted history.

In his emphatic career, he amassed 10,122 runs from 125 Tests at 51.12.

Meanwhile, Kapil accounted for 434 Test wickets and 9,031 runs in international cricket.

Notably, Kapil he didn't miss a single Test due to injury.