Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has urged the BCCI to increase domestic boundary sizes to prepare Indian batters for longer boundaries ahead of the upcoming global tournaments in away conditions.

While the 2027 ODI World Cup will be played in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, Australia and New Zealand are due to host the next T20 World Cup in 2028.

In his column for Sportstar, Gavaskar called for pushing back advertising boards at Indian grounds to mimic overseas dimensions.

“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.

Gavaskar also stressed the importance of playing smart cricket, suggesting batters to identify and spare top bowlers while aggressively scoring off weaker bowling options.

“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,” he added.

Furthermore, Gavaskar advised batters to exercise discipline and take time to settle before playing big shots in ODIs.

“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,” Gavaskar stated.