During a recent media appearance Sunil Gavaskar caused controversy by asking if Gautam Gambhir would take the same approach as Rahul Dravid regarding prize money acceptance. The Champions Trophy-winning team received a Rs 58 crore cash prize from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) which resulted in speculation about Gambhir’s specific position regarding bonus distribution. Dravid showed humility to Gavaskar after the 2024 T20 World Cup win because he refused Rs 2.5 crore in addition to his share of the prize money so all team staff received fair equal amounts.
Gavaskar Questions Gambhir’s Silence On Prize Money Distribution
Sunil Gavaskar questioned why Gautam Gambhir remained quiet about how prize money was distributed after India won the Champions Trophy competition. During his Sportstar article Gavaskar described how Dravid refused any payment increase above what his coaching team members received after they won the T20 World Cup in 2024. According to Gavaskar in his interview “After India won the ICC T20 World Cup and the Board announced prize rewards the team manager Rahul Dravid rejected all financial incentives above his peer coaches then distributed these funds equally to all staff members.”
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Gavaskar Criticizes Gambhir’s Silence On Champions Trophy Prize Distribution
Gavaskar observed that two weeks have passed since the BCCI declared Champions Trophy rewards yet Gambhir maintained silence regarding whether he would distribute payment similarly to Dravid. The BCCI disclosed the Champions Trophy awards two weeks back without receiving any comment from the present coach about matching Dravid’s commitment. He questioned if Dravid currently lacks the qualities of a good role model in this specific situation. The remarks from Gavaskar initiate debates about how Gambhir plans to treat prize money distribution moving forward after Dravid’s example.
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