Former India captain and ex-head coach Rahul Dravid has expressed concern over the increasing dominance of batters in modern-day T20 cricket, stating that the game is gradually losing its balance due to extremely batting-friendly pitches.
The Indian batting great believes bowlers are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in the current era, where flat wickets and aggressive batting approaches have completely changed the dynamics of the shortest format.
Speaking during an interaction in Dublin, Dravid stressed that bowlers now require greater support from playing conditions to keep the contest competitive.
Rahul Dravid urges curators to prepare more challenging wickets
Dravid pointed out that batting standards across world cricket have improved massively over the last few years, with teams now regularly crossing the 200-run mark in T20 matches.
The former India coach believes the fearless approach adopted by modern batters has further widened the gap between bat and ball.
"They may need a little bit of support and I think the way is probably to have a little more challenging wickets to ensure that there are something in it for the bowlers," Rahul Dravid said.
The Indian legend explained that pitch preparation has become one of the most important aspects of maintaining competitiveness in T20 cricket.
According to Dravid, excessively flat surfaces not only make life difficult for bowlers but also reduce the overall balance of the sport.
Dravid warns against one-sided cricket
Rahul Dravid further stated that cricket should never become heavily tilted in favour of either batters or bowlers.
The former India skipper emphasised that maintaining balance is essential for preserving the excitement and challenge of the game across all formats.
"I think at some stage we don't want the balance to be too skewed either way, either on the side of the batsmen or the side of the bowlers," he added.
Rahul Dravid’s remarks are expected to reignite the ongoing debate surrounding pitch preparation and the growing batting dominance in modern T20 cricket.
With massive scores becoming increasingly common around the world, discussions around creating more assistance for bowlers have once again come into focus among cricket experts and fans alike.