In the current 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL), former Indian cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar has advocated for modifications to the pitch and ground conditions in order to produce a more evenly matched match between bowlers and hitters. So far in the tournament, batters have controlled most games, with bowlers finding it difficult to have an effect.
Sunil Gavaskar emphasised the necessity of pushing the boundary ropes back in order to extend the ground’s dimensions.
An extension of the playing field may be made by using the space beneath the LED advertising boards, the opening said.
In the first 11 games of the season, six of the 22 innings have reached the 200-run milestone. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) demonstrated the strong preference for batting-friendly conditions by surpassing 250 in their debut game.
Even though there is more room beyond the LED advertising boards, which can be stretched nearly to the fence, the size of the boundaries hasn’t increased, despite the batters’ approach in the Powerplay changing significantly. In a piece for Mid-Day, Gavaskar said, “We see sixers just clearing the boundary line so often, which could lead to a dismissal if the LED boards were pushed back and with it the boundary lines by a few meters, which could well give the bowlers a wicket instead of a six against their names.”
Additionally, the Mumbai-born hitter stressed the necessity of raising the amount of money given to players at the conclusion of games. The top-order hitter noted that since the first IPL season in 2008, player prize money has not changed, despite the fact that sponsorships and other revenue sources have increased dramatically over time.
Sponsors’ cash awards at the conclusion of the game are another item whose size hasn’t changed. Even though broadcast money, title sponsorship, and other sponsorships have increased dramatically, the Player of the Match still receives essentially the same amount as he did in 2008. Now that the IPL has reached adulthood, will the prize money rise in the same way that our parents did when we graduated from high school and enrolled in college?” he continued.
India
