Sunil Gavaskar Urges BCCI to ‘Increase Boundary Sizes’ Before World Cup: ‘Get Used to That…’

India’s preparations for the next major global cricket tournaments may need to begin much earlier than many fans expect.

Former India captain and batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has made a clear recommendation to the BCCI: increase the boundary dimensions at Indian venues before the national team’s next home season begins.

The reason is simple.

Indian batters are accustomed to playing on relatively smaller boundaries at several home grounds. But when the 2027 ODI World Cup arrives, the playing conditions will be different.

The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, where larger boundaries could present a very different challenge for India’s batters.

Gavaskar believes the team should start preparing for that reality now rather than waiting until the World Cup arrives.

‘It’s Absolutely Imperative’

Writing in his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar argued that India’s home season should be used to replicate the kind of boundary dimensions the team is likely to encounter overseas.

“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,” Gavaskar wrote.

The former opener also pointed out that there is often considerable unused space around the boundary ropes at Indian stadiums.

According to him, the area behind LED advertising boards could potentially be used to move the boundary further back.

His suggestion is essentially about preparation.

If Indian batters regularly play with larger boundaries at home, they may become more comfortable judging when to attack, when to rotate the strike and when to rely on running between the wickets.

That could prove especially valuable in South African conditions, where boundaries can be significantly larger and the overall playing environment can be different from what Indian players experience during the domestic season.

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Why Bigger Boundaries Could Change India’s Batting Approach

Modern ODI cricket has increasingly become a high-scoring format.

With aggressive batting approaches, power-hitting and fielding restrictions, teams are constantly looking for ways to maintain a high run rate.

But boundary size can have a significant impact on how batters construct an innings.

A shot that comfortably clears the rope at a smaller Indian venue could result in only two runs at a larger ground.

That difference may appear small, but over the course of a 50-over innings, it can completely change the equation.

Batters may need to run harder.

They may need to find gaps more consistently.

And they may have to be more selective about when to attempt high-risk shots.

Gavaskar believes India’s preparation should reflect those realities.

Gavaskar Wants India to Play Smarter ODI Cricket

The batting great also had advice for India’s approach to the ODI format itself.

According to Gavaskar, teams need to recognise that not every bowler should be attacked in the same way.

Instead, batters should identify which bowlers are easier to target and use those overs to compensate for periods when a stronger bowler is controlling the game.

“It’s necessary to play smart cricket,” Gavaskar wrote.

His argument is based on a simple reality: no team has five world-class bowlers who can dominate every single over.

There will always be opportunities to score runs.

The key is identifying them.

For India, that could mean resisting the temptation to attack every delivery and instead building an innings around calculated aggression.

‘A Little Patience Won’t Hurt’

Gavaskar’s comments also underline the difference between T20 cricket and ODIs.

In T20 cricket, batters are under constant pressure to score quickly because there are only 20 overs available.

The ODI format offers considerably more time.

A team chasing a massive total does not necessarily need to panic from the first over.

Gavaskar believes even when chasing a score of 380-plus, batters should be prepared to show patience during difficult periods.

“A little patience won’t hurt even if the team is chasing a big score like 380-plus,” he said.

The message is particularly relevant in an era where aggressive batting has become the norm.

India’s modern batting lineup has several players capable of clearing the boundary regularly, but Gavaskar’s advice suggests that calculated risk-taking may be more effective than attempting to dominate every phase of an innings.

Shot Selection Could Be the Biggest Test

Perhaps the strongest part of Gavaskar’s advice concerns shot selection.

The former India captain believes batters must learn to control their egos and avoid playing shots simply to maintain a particular image.

Instead, every delivery should be judged on its merits.

“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,” Gavaskar said.

That philosophy could become increasingly important when India plays on larger grounds.

A batter who tries to force a boundary against a bowler who is controlling the game could end up losing their wicket.

On a larger ground, the smarter option might be to take a single, rotate the strike and wait for the right opportunity.

Over 50 overs, those small decisions can add up.

T20 Habits Cannot Always Be Carried Into ODI Cricket

Gavaskar also highlighted the growing influence of T20 cricket on modern batting.

In the shortest format, players often have little choice but to attempt big shots regularly.

With only 120 deliveries available to a team, the pressure to score quickly is enormous.

But ODIs are different.

There is enough time for batters to settle in before increasing the attacking tempo.

“In the ODI format, where there is time for a short period of settling down before the power shots are unfurled,” Gavaskar explained.

That could be an important lesson for India’s next generation of ODI batters.

The ability to switch between formats is no longer simply about technical skill.

It is also about changing mindset.

A player who attacks from the first ball in T20 cricket may need to take a different approach in a 50-over match.

The best ODI batters are often those who understand when to accelerate—and when not to.

The 2027 World Cup Is Already Influencing India’s Planning

The next ODI World Cup may still be some time away, but preparations are already beginning to take shape.

India will need to build a squad capable of adapting to overseas conditions while also developing a batting strategy suited to larger grounds.

That means preparation cannot be limited to team selection.

It must also include match simulations, boundary dimensions, running between the wickets and tactical planning.

Gavaskar’s recommendation to increase boundary sizes during India’s home season is therefore part of a broader argument: India should recreate World Cup challenges before actually facing them.

The idea is similar to preparing for difficult conditions in advance rather than learning on the biggest stage.

A Small Change That Could Have a Big Impact

Moving the boundary ropes a few metres may sound like a minor adjustment.

But in international cricket, small changes can influence an entire strategy.

A bigger boundary means fewer sixes.

It can turn sixes into fours.

Fours into twos.

And twos into ones.

That changes the required running, shot selection and risk management.

It also gives bowlers a greater margin for error because not every mishit will automatically disappear over the boundary.

For India’s batters, regularly playing with larger boundaries could therefore become valuable preparation for the challenges waiting overseas.

India Has Time—But Preparation Must Start Early

The biggest takeaway from Gavaskar’s comments is that India still has time to prepare.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will not be won or lost solely because of boundary sizes.

But adapting to conditions before the tournament begins could give the team an advantage.

The Indian team management and selectors will have several decisions to make in the coming months, particularly regarding the balance between experienced players and the next generation.

At the same time, players will need to develop the ability to adapt their game to different venues.

Gavaskar’s message is ultimately about preparation, discipline and smarter cricket.

India has become one of the world’s most dangerous limited-overs teams, but success at a World Cup often comes down to how well a team adapts when conditions change.

For the country’s batters, playing with bigger boundaries at home could be one small step toward preparing for exactly that challenge.

And if Gavaskar gets his wish, India’s next home season may look slightly different—with the boundary ropes pushed back and the batters asked to think a little harder before going for the big shot.