The batting boom in IPL 2026, with the run rate touching 10 and boundary-hitting reaching unprecedented levels, has created a situation where even totals beyond 220 no longer seem safe. That growing imbalance prompted legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar to call for greater parity between bat and ball in T20 cricket, proposing not one but three radical changes for the IPL.
Speaking at the ESPNcricinfo Awards in Mumbai, held on the eve of the IPL 2026 final between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, Sachin first called for the Impact Player rule to be scrapped.
“I feel there are a few things which, on a personal note, I can say. I think the Impact Player rule needs to go away. In a T20 format, you are already playing just 20 overs, and then you are adding one more batter to the line-up. When bowlers are already being challenged, I find that imbalance,” he said.
Introduced in 2023, the rule allows teams to replace a player from the starting XI with one of the substitutes named at the toss. It has faced criticism from several senior cricketers, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who believe it has reduced the influence of bowlers in the contest. Since its introduction, scoring rates have steadily risen. The issue was discussed at the captains’ meeting before IPL 2026, but the BCCI maintained that it would review the rule only after the season.
Sachin’s second proposal involved splitting the powerplay into two parts — one for the batters and one that can be strategically deployed by the bowling side.
“[In] the powerplay of six overs with field restrictions, only two fielders are allowed outside the ring. Let the first four overs be the batters’ powerplay with the same restrictions. After that, the remaining two powerplay overs should be used by the fielding captain whenever he wants. During those overs, only two fielders will be allowed outside the ring as well,” he said.
“So you are able to control the game better.”
His third suggestion was perhaps the most radical, allowing one bowler to bowl a fifth over.
“One bowler should be allowed to bowl five overs. Because invariably the best bowler of the side is going to bowl that fifth over. Wouldn’t you want to see that best bowler bowl more?
“The top batters are batting sometimes even 20 overs. Why shouldn’t the best bowler be bowling five overs?”
Sachin’s suggestions come at a time when IPL batting numbers have exploded, with teams regularly crossing the 200-run mark and bowlers increasingly struggling to influence matches. Whether the BCCI seriously considers any of the proposed changes remains to be seen, but the former India captain has certainly reignited the debate around restoring balance in T20 cricket.
