Sunil Gavaskar, a legend of Indian cricket, continues to hold a significant influence as a player and commentator. However, the current India cricketers don’t seek his advice, unlike icons Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Virender Sehwag, who often turned to him for guidance. Modern players, influenced by the IPL, now rely more on coaches and management, leading to a decline in the tradition of learning from the greats of the game.

Karsan Ghavri, a former Indian fast bowler, is deeply saddened by this trend. At 75, he finds it perplexing that modern Indian batters no longer see Gavaskar as a valuable resource or approach him for suggestion.

“Gavaskar has been in the commentary box for the past 25 years, and his insights are invaluable to any young player. It’s unfortunate that our own players don’t seek his guidance. Even players from other countries approach him for advice. Every Indian batter, including Shubman Gill, should consult him. I’m not sure if he has, but if not, he certainly should. It would have been reported in the media if Sunil Gavaskar had offered advice to Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, or Shubman Gill, yet we haven’t heard of such instances,” Ghavri said on the Vickey Lalwani Show.

Ghavri commented on the reported rift between Rohit Sharma and Gavaskar, stating that Rohit was said to have raised concerns with the BCCI regarding Gavaskar’s remarks during India’s tour of Australia. He also noted the rift between Gavaskar and Virat Kohli during the last IPL season over critiques of Kohli’s strike rate. Ghavri stated that Gavaskar deserves more respect and his criticism should be taken positively.

“It’s nonsense. Regardless of whether you’re Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli, respect for the great man is important. If he offers advice, it’s always for their benefit. Ravi Shastri is straightforward, and he won’t hesitate to criticise, but Sunil does it in a much more measured way. His approach is completely different from Ravi Shastri’s,” he noted.