Gavaskar to BCCI: Clear the Ground, Cut the Time-Wasting
IPL 2026 games are running too long. And Sunil Gavaskar has had enough.
One match recently stretched to four hours and 22 minutes. A T20 game. Gavaskar pointed directly at what’s causing it — reserve players walking onto the field during play to hand water to a fielder near the boundary. More than 11 people on the ground while play is live. He wants it stopped.
“The ground is a sacred place,” he said. “It should be entered only by those officiating and those playing.” His proposal: two reserve players, two coaching staff, and nobody else. Cut the time between wickets from two minutes to one. Add penalty runs if batters aren’t ready.
“Nobody else should be allowed on the ground,” he said flatly. The BCCI needs to hear it.