Former India Captain Sunil Gavaskar has called on the BCCI to tighten match management in the IPL as games continue to run significantly beyond the intended T20 duration, raising concerns over pacing and viewer experience, writing in his column for Mid-Day. The issue has become prominent during the 2026 season, with matches frequently extending well past three hours, including a Mumbai Indians versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru fixture that lasted four hours and 22 minutes without requiring a Super Over.
Match duration concerns persist despite existing penalties
The IPL operates with slow over-rate rules, including fines and match-related sanctions for captains, yet match durations have continued to stretch beyond three and a half hours. The persistence of extended games indicates that current measures have not effectively controlled delays across the competition.
He wrote: “Often, one sees the unnecessary sight of reserve players stepping onto the ground to give a bottle of water to the fielder near the boundary. That should not be allowed, as that would mean more than 11 players on the field while the play is on, even though it may be between deliveries. At the strategic time out too, one often sees about half a dozen others on the ground, including the batters who are next into bat. That is taking the liberty too far. Here again, apart from the two reserve players with the drinks and two from the coaching staff, and nobody else should be allowed on the ground.”
Adjustments suggested to reduce in-game delays
Teams now operate with batters positioned close to the field of play in the dugout during matches, ensuring immediate readiness following a dismissal.
He added: “Today all batters are in the dug-out instead of being in their change room as in the past, so the allowance of two minutes can be brought down to a minute and if the batter is not ready to face the bowler, then after a couple of warnings to the team, the penalty runs should kick in.”
He further noted: “Similarly, the first ball after the strategic time-out should be bowled exactly after two minutes and 30 seconds have passed. Here also, the actual time taken at the end of the over, and then the umpire signalling time out, means the break is for almost three minutes. Yes, it’s peak summer, so the players need to cool down and get some refreshing drinks, but this is being exploited, and the time out can stretch unnecessarily. Again, a penalty of runs will make a huge difference.”
Calls for stronger, match-impacting penalties
Financial penalties remain part of the current system, but teams continue to experience repeated slowdowns during matches.
He wrote: “Today, with the amount of money that is on offer, a financial penalty is nothing for the teams who usually take care of the individual player’s financial penalty too. Unless the penalty is such that it can affect the result of the game, it won’t be effective.”
He added: “See the panic that happens when a team is penalised for not bowling its overs in time and is allowed one player less outside the 30-metre ring for the final over. That’s because it can affect the result of the game. A points or runs penalty will ensure that there is no dawdling between the overs.”
Focus on discipline and maintaining standards
The discussion also extended to maintaining discipline and preserving standards within the playing environment as the tournament continues to expand.
He noted: “As Richie Benaud said to me at the start of my broadcasting career, the ground is a sacred place and should be entered only by those officiating and those playing. This is the reason if, am not doing any pitch report or a TV show, I hardly step out on the field. Hopefully, the BCCI will also ensure that and all the committee members who have all access accreditation also do not step inside the boundary. Keep the sanctity of the playing area please. The IPL is a fantastic tournament, but a bit of looseness and laxity is coming in which is not cricket and if the ever-alert BCCI can take measures to get it even more crisper and tighter, it will be truly unbeatable and brilliantly spectacular as any event can ever be.”
The continued extension of match durations remains a key operational issue for the league, with increased focus on stricter enforcement and structural adjustments as the season progresses.
