The next ODI World Cup will be held in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in 2026. The following year, the T20 World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand. The boundaries will be longer than what the Indian side would be accustomed to in home conditions. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar urged the BCCI to increase the boundary dimensions when the home season begins.
“It’s absolutely imperative, when the new Indian season begins, to get the boundary sizes increased so that our batters get used to that before the World Cup next year. At virtually every ground, there is plenty of space for people to walk behind the LED advertising boards, so it tells you that if this space is utilised, the boundary size will automatically increase,” Gavaskar wrote in his Sportstar column.
Gavaskar also said in the ODI format the approach has to be different for the batters. “It’s necessary to play smart cricket. So, figure out the bowler who doesn’t need to be counter-attacked. Then target the bowlers against whom you can make up for the quiet over from the better bowler. No team in the world has five top bowlers, and there will always be eight to 12 overs in a T20 game where the runs can be looted. Similarly, in the 50-over format, a little patience won’t hurt even if the team is chasing a big score like 380-plus.”
“Shot selection is very important and here the batter has to rein in his ego and not try to live up to an image, but play the ball on its merits. Yes, in the ultra-short format, the T20, it is not easy to do so as big shots are needed virtually every other delivery. But it is different in the ODI format, where there is time for a short period of settling down before the power shots are unfurled,” said Gavaskar
