‘Fifth over for a bowler if ... ': Gavaskar proposes drastic T20 rule change

Indian batting fable Sunil Gavaskar has projected a large tweak to IPL playing conditions, suggesting that bowlers who instrumentality a definite fig of wickets successful their spell should beryllium rewarded with an further over.Writing successful his file for Mid Day, Gavaskar argued that modern T20 cricket, particularly the IPL, has progressively tilted successful favour of batters owed to level pitches, shorter boundaries and regulations that permission bowlers with precise small borderline for error. According to him, allowing wicket-taking bowlers an other implicit could reconstruct immoderate equilibrium betwixt bat and ball.

“This is wherever 1 feels that the regularisation of lone 4 overs to a bowler could beryllium looked astatine again," Gavaskar wrote. “If a batter tin bat the full 20 overs, wherefore can’t a bowler who gets, say, 3 wickets successful his 4 overs beryllium allowed to vessel different implicit arsenic a reward for getting those wickets?”Gavaskar believes specified a regularisation would promote attacking cricket from bowling sides alternatively than antiaircraft strategies aimed solely astatine restricting runs. He added, “This mode teams volition besides effort getting wickets alternatively of trying lone to prevention runs being scored. After all, the champion dot shot is the wicket-taking dot ball, isn’t it?”The erstwhile India skipper pointed to the increasing fig of centuries and monolithic totals successful IPL 2026 arsenic grounds that conditions are heavy favouring batters. While praising entertaining contests, helium said tighter games connected much challenging surfaces are acold much breathtaking than one-sided run-fests. He specifically highlighted however batters person struggled connected livelier pitches against genuine gait bowlers specified arsenic Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada.To explicate however the projected regularisation mightiness work, Gavaskar referred to Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s caller spell against

Mumbai Indians

, wherever the seasoned pacer took 4 wickets. Under the suggested rule, a bowler producing specified a show could perchance vessel an other implicit astatine the death, rewarding the fielding broadside for attacking bowling.“Yes, you could conceivably person 3 bowlers getting 3 wickets and an other implicit each. That would adjacent up the playing tract a just spot successful a format wherever conscionable astir everything is stacked against the bowlers,” Gavaskar added.

He besides criticised definite batting-friendly conditions successful the modern game, including tiny boundaries and strict wide-ball interpretations for short-pitched deliveries supra enarthrosis height.Rather than introducing the regularisation straight into the IPL, Gavaskar suggested that the conception should archetypal beryllium tested successful home competitions specified arsenic metropolis leagues and the

Syed Mushtaq Ali

Trophy earlier immoderate wider implementation is considered.