Sachin Tendulkar puts BCCI on notice! Shares changes for IPL before RCB vs GT final

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 finale is just round the corner, where defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 31. With this, the prestigious T20 franchise competition will conclude its 19th edition, but only a few hours prior, legend Sachin Tendulkar shared his opinions to bring in some balance between bat and ball, especially pointing out the Impact Player rule.

Tendulkar, 53, while addressing the audience at the ESPNcricinfo Awards suggested a few tweaks in the tournament while criticising the substitution rule which came into play in 2023. According to him, the format which sees only 20 overs, adding a batter brings in more challenges to the bowlers.“I feel when in a T20 format you just have to play 20 overs, and then you are adding one more batter to that line-up. Where bowlers are already being challenged, I find that imbalance,” he said.

Sachin Tendulkar proposes IPL reforms

While Tendulkar isn’t the first to speak against the Impact Player rule, Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and several others have also voiced their opinions, suggesting how it reduces the importance of an all-rounder. Furthermore, Tendulkar also voted for addition of a bowling powerplay to balance the equation with batting powerplay. 

“[In] the powerplay of six overs with field restrictions, only two fielders are allowed outside the ring. Let the first four overs be batters’ powerplay with the same field restrictions, and post that, the remaining two powerplay overs should be determined by the fielding captain as and when he wants to take. Those two consecutive overs will also get one fielder extra outside the ring at any stage of the game,” he exclaimed. 

Apart from these two, the great of the game recommended allowing a bowler to bowl 5 overs in an innings instead of the current limit of 4 overs, drawing comparison to how a batter sometimes even bats for complete 20 overs. “One bowler should be allowed to bowl five overs. Because invariably the best bowler of the side is going to bowl that fifth over,” the Mumbaikar concluded.

The post Sachin Tendulkar puts BCCI on notice! Shares changes for IPL before RCB vs GT final appeared first on Inside Sport India.