Mumbai Indian cricket team’s great batsman Sunil Gavaskar has given important suggestions regarding the preparations of the Indian team for the ODI World Cup to be held in 2027. According to him, to achieve success in the upcoming World Cup, the team will have to make some important changes in its strategy and practice methods, especially emphasizing on playing on grounds with big boundaries and developing the habit of batting as per the situation.
Gavaskar, especially in the context of the World Cup to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, said that Indian batsmen will have to get used to playing on grounds with big boundaries from now on. For this, he suggested the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) to take immediate action. Gavaskar wrote, ‘It is very important to increase the size of the boundary as soon as the new season starts, so that our batsmen can get used to it before next year’s World Cup.’ He also said that there is enough space behind LED advertising boards at almost all grounds, so implementing this change will not be difficult. With this move, the batsmen will get practice in hitting boundaries in big grounds.
Along with practicing big boundaries, Gavaskar also gave serious advice on batting strategy. He believes that in ODI cricket, success is not achieved only by hitting big shots, but batsmen should know how to play according to the conditions of the match. He clarified that the batsmen will have to understand which bowlers should not be taken risks against and which bowlers can be hit hard. According to Gavaskar, no team always has all five world-class bowlers, so there are opportunities to score runs in every match, which are important to recognize.
The great batsman also gave important advice regarding shot selection. He said that batsmen should not try to play big shots on every ball under the pressure of their image, rather shot selection is very important. The batsman should control his ego and play every ball as per its quality. Gavaskar also stressed on the difference between T20 and ODI cricket. According to him, while T20 requires aggressive batting from the start, in ODI cricket, batsmen have enough time to first understand the pitch and conditions, and then pace their innings. Gavaskar believes that if Indian batsmen prepare to play big boundaries from now on and play the playing conditions intelligently, then the Indian team will be a strong contender to win the 2027 ODI World Cup.
