Sunil Gavaskar advocated for enlarging boundary sizes in IPL 2024 to support bowlers amidst the prevailing trend of high-scoring matches, emphasizing the need for balance.
In IPL 2024’s early stages, the abundance of high-scoring matches has been evident, with teams surpassing the 200-run mark over ten times. Sunrisers Hyderabad, in particular, have been formidable with the bat, crossing 250 runs thrice already. Their recent showdown against Delhi Capitals showcased their batting prowess, amassing a staggering 266 runs fueled by Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Shahbaz Ahmed’s contributions.
In light of these high-score batting displays, cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar advocated for enlarging boundary sizes to aid bowlers, emphasizing the need for balance while maintaining regulations on cricket bat specifications. Gavaskar believes that increasing boundary dimensions across all grounds could provide necessary assistance to bowlers in the face of relentless batting onslaughts witnessed in IPL 2024.
“I wouldn’t suggest any changes to a cricket bat because they are all within regulations. But I have been saying this for a long time, increase the size of the boundary at every ground,” Gavaskar said.
“Look at this ground today, there is enough space to take it back a little more by a couple of meters. It can often prove to be the difference between a catch and a sixer. You can push that LED or advertisement boards even further so that the boundary rope can go back by 2-3 meters and that will make a difference,” he added.
Gavaskar also warned of dire consequences for bowlers if action isn’t taken. Drawing a vivid analogy, he likened recent batting displays in T20 cricket to the frantic final moments of a net session, where players swing wildly regardless of the outcome.
While initially entertaining, Gavaskar expressed concern that this style of play could become tiresome for spectators. Though tempted to use stronger language, he refrained, urging for a rethink in cricket strategy to sustain excitement and fairness in the sport.
Last Updated on April 21, 2024
Senior Sports Copywriter
