Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi has taken aim at the BCCI, accusing it of pushing Indian players to exhaustion with an unforgiving schedule.
His criticism follows reports that India head coach Gautam Gambhir is concerned about the limited turnaround between the IPL 2026 final on May 31 and the one-off Test against Afghanistan starting June 6.
With several key players likely to feature in the final, the short gap leaves little time for recovery or red-ball preparation. There is even a possibility that the selectors may have to rely on backup players for the Test, despite India’s recent struggles in the format at home.
Modi did not hold back.
“The BCCI is killing its players with this kind of scheduling. Stop treating them like mules. They need time off, time with family. You don’t need the money,” he said, calling for an urgent rethink of priorities. He also подчеркнул that the IPL has already secured Indian cricket’s financial future, arguing that player welfare must now take precedence.
“The revenue model is in place. There’s no need to squeeze more at the cost of the players. Do what’s right for them,” Modi added.
The workload debate has also found resonance within the dressing room. India’s Test captain Shubman Gill recently pointed out the lack of preparation time before red-ball assignments, suggesting a minimum two-week camp ahead of a Test series.
As the IPL window continues to expand and India’s international commitments pile up, concerns over fatigue, injuries, and inadequate format transition are growing louder. Players are increasingly being asked to jump straight from high-intensity T20 cricket into the demands of Test matches.
India have previously managed workloads by sending second-string squads for overseas T20 tours. Whether such an approach can be applied to a home Test, however, remains a question the team management may soon be forced to confront.
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