Young Indian cricketers should focus on representing their country instead of being lured by the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar has warned.

Mentoring youngsters is vital especially in the age of lucrative Twenty20 tournaments, Gavaskar said while delivering the inaugural Dilip Sardesai lecture in Mumbai in memory of his former Test team-mate.

“Players in the age group of 19-22 are going the wrong way. Younger players get carried away by fame, publicity and success,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying by the Indian Express on Friday.

“The worrying factor is far too many youngsters see the IPL as the be-all and end-all. This should not be the case since their ultimate goal should be earning the India cap.”