indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar Proposing major changes to the IPL playing conditions, it was suggested that bowlers who take a certain number of wickets in their spell should be given additional incentives.Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid Day that modern T20 cricket, especially the IPL, has become increasingly batsman-friendly due to flat pitches, short boundaries and little margin for error for the bowlers. According to him, allowing a wicket bowler to bowl an extra over restores the balance between bat and ball.
“It is felt that the restriction on bowlers to bowl only four overs could be considered again,” Gavaskar wrote. “If a batsman can bowl all 20 overs, why can’t a bowler who takes three wickets in four overs be allowed to bowl one more over as a reward for taking those wickets?”Gavaskar feels that such a rule will encourage the bowling side to attack the ball rather than a defensive strategy aimed solely at limiting runs. He added, “This way the team will also try to take wickets and not just try to save runs. After all, the best penalty is the one that takes the wicket, isn’t it?”The former India captain pointed out that the increasing number of hundreds and huge total score in IPL 2026 proves that the conditions are very favorable for the batsmen. While praising the fun competition, he said tighter contests on more challenging surfaces are more exciting than a one-sided running game. He particularly highlighted how batsmen can compete on livelier pitches against true pace bowlers such as Jofra Archer and Kagiso Rabada.To explain how the proposed rules would work, Gavaskar mentioned Bhuvneshwar Kumarrecent spells against mumbai indiansthe veteran pacer took four wickets. Under the proposed rules, a bowler making such a performance might reward the fielding side’s attacking bowling with an extra ball at the death.“Yes, you can imagine giving three bowlers three wickets with an extra wicket for each wicket. That would even out the playing field because almost everything is against the bowlers,” Gavaskar added.He also criticized certain conditions in the modern game that favor batting, including small boundaries and a strict wide-ball interpretation of short pitches above shoulder height.Gavaskar suggested that the concept should be tested first in domestic competitions such as city leagues and FIFA, rather than directly introducing the rule into the IPL. Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before wider implementation is considered.
