Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar advised the Board of Control for Cricket in India to increase home boundary dimensions ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.
Gavaskar noted that venues across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia feature larger boundaries than Indian grounds. He urged Indian administrators to utilise unused space behind LED boards during home series to push boundary ropes back, helping batters adapt to larger outfields.
“Boundaries must be increased during series in India. Then our batters will face no issues hitting big shots during the World Cup,” said Gavaskar.
He explained that LED boards occupy considerable perimeter space, leaving extra ground behind them that staff can convert into active playing space.
“The LED boards by the boundary take up a lot of space, and plenty of space remains behind them. Using that area will enlarge the ground without any issues,” he added.
Gavaskar also urged Indian batters to refine shot selection and target specific bowlers during matches. He highlighted that opposition teams rarely field five or six top-tier bowlers simultaneously. While T20 matches offer eight to 12 overs of scoring opportunities, 50-over games provide 20 to 25 overs to build innings, making run chases of 380 realistic.
“You have to play smartly and decide which bowler to attack and which to leave. A team does not have five or six bowlers of the same quality,” Gavaskar said.
He warned batters against using unorthodox T20 shots in 50-over cricket, stressing that traditional cricketing shots deliver sufficient runs.
“Shot selection is crucial. You must play according to the ball. You can score in T20s playing strange shots, but ODI cricket does not require that. Scoring big runs remains possible through proper cricketing shots,” he stated.
