The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has delivered back-to-back nail-biting thrillers and record-breaking matches, once again living up to its reputation as the world’s most entertaining T20 league. From Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to Prabhsimran Singh, young talents have been stealing the spotlight with their fearless and attacking approach. However, one aspect that has increasingly begun to frustrate viewers is the length of matches, which is affecting overall interest. The T20 format was originally designed to wrap up games within three hours. But in the ongoing IPL season, matches have frequently stretched beyond four hours, turning into a test of patience for fans.
Despite the BCCI introducing fines and even match bans for captains to enforce slow over-rate penalties, the problem persists. The clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians emerged as the longest match of the season, lasting a staggering 4 hours and 22 minutes.
Concerned by this trend, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar urged the BCCI to restrict the entry of support staff and reserve players onto the field to preserve the sanctity of the playing area and help reduce delays.
“Often, one sees the unnecessary sight of reserve players stepping onto the ground to give a bottle of water to a fielder near the boundary. That should not be allowed, as it effectively means more than 11 players on the field while play is on, even if it is between deliveries. During strategic time-outs too, one often sees half a dozen people on the field, including batters who are yet to come in. That is taking liberties too far. Apart from two reserve players carrying drinks and two members of the coaching staff, nobody else should be allowed on the ground,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
He further emphasised the importance of maintaining discipline on the field, quoting legendary commentator Richie Benaud.
“As Richie Benaud once told 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 why, if I am not doing a pitch report or a TV show, I rarely step onto the field. Hopefully, the BCCI will also ensure that committee members with all-access accreditation do not cross the boundary. Please maintain the sanctity of the playing area,” he added.
Gavaskar also suggested changes to reduce delays between wickets, noting that batters now sit in the dugout rather than the dressing room.
“Since all batters are already in the dugout, the allowance of two minutes can be reduced to one minute. If a batter is still not ready to face the bowler, then after a couple of warnings, penalty runs should be imposed,” Gavaskar wrote.
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