However, consider a different reality in which two Indian cricketing titans, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar, were dominant in T20 cricket.
How would their traditional abilities translate to this fast-paced format? We decode the same here.
Kapil Dev: An impactful fast-bowling all-rounder
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.
Kapil would have handled the new ball well and made an impact at the death in the IPL. Apart from being a fierce strike bowler, Kapil’s finishing skills with the bat would have come handy.
Luminous Gavaskar Sunil Gavaskar: Technical top-order batter
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 methodical approach would have made him an elite IPL batter. He might take on the role of the anchor, similar to what Virat Kohli did. Although Gavaskar usually maintained a low strike-rate, his knack for finding the gaps would have stood out.
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The captaincy angle!
For the captaincy position, both Kapil and Gavaskar would have attracted attention from numerous franchises. While the former led India to the historic 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup title, Gavaskar captained the side in 84 internationals.
Value
What would be the probable auction value?
Any IPL team could have used Kapil as a complete package. 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
Legacy of the two legends
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.