Sunil Gavaskar demands BCCI action
- Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar urged the BCCI to bar most reserve players and support staff from entering the field during IPL 2026 matches. - Gavaskar said T20 games meant to finish in about three hours are routinely running past four, with drink breaks and strategic time-outs adding delays. - The complaint fits wider IPL 2026 concerns over over-rates, stoppages and match length. (sports.ndtv.com)
Sunil Gavaskar has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharply limit who can walk onto the field during Indian Premier League matches. (sports.ndtv.com) The former India captain said reserve players and support staff are too often entering the playing area for water and messages during IPL 2026 games. He said only the 12th man should be allowed on routinely. (sports.ndtv.com) (hindustantimes.com) Gavaskar called the on-field presence an “unnecessary sight” and said the BCCI should keep the field for players, umpires and, when needed, the 12th man. He also called for stricter standard operating procedures around the strategic time-out. (sports.ndtv.com) (hindustantimes.com) His argument is tied to a bigger IPL 2026 problem: match length. NDTV reported Gavaskar said T20 matches designed for roughly three hours are now regularly stretching beyond four. (sports.ndtv.com) Hindustan Times said Gavaskar wants the tournament to become “crisper and tighter,” with fewer avoidable stoppages between overs and during breaks. The concern is not a rule change to cricket itself, but tighter control over field access and time management. (hindustantimes.com) The complaint also lands in a season when the BCCI has already faced criticism over slow over-rates and long broadcasts. MSN’s syndication of the report said Gavaskar linked repeated staff entries to time-wasting despite existing efforts to curb delays. (msn.com) This is Gavaskar’s latest call for tougher IPL enforcement. In March, he pushed for stricter penalties on overseas players who withdraw after the auction, arguing existing rules were not strong enough. (indiatoday.in) So far, the reporting says Gavaskar has written to the BCCI and publicly urged action, but no board response or formal protocol change had been announced by April 27. His ask is narrower than a format overhaul: keep non-playing personnel off the grass and move the game along. (sports.ndtv.com)
