Sunil Gavaskar Calls for Strict Punishment to Curb India’s No-Ball Crisis

August 30, 2026

India ended their recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka with a 1-0 victory. The Shubman Gill-led side won the opening Test by 165 runs, while the second Test ended in a draw.

Despite India securing the series, the number of no-balls bowled by Indian bowlers emerged as one of the major talking points from the two-match contest.

India Bowled 13 No-Balls in Second Test

India bowled 13 no-balls in the second Test, conceding crucial extra runs in the process. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has now called for urgent action to address the issue, arguing that repeated overstepping can have a major impact on the outcome of a match.

In his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar said there should be no excuses for bowlers overstepping the bowling crease, especially with modern tools available to accurately mark a bowler’s run-up.

He stressed that avoiding a no-ball is one of the few aspects of the game that remains completely within a player’s control.

“The no-balls being bowled by the Indian bowlers came in for a fair bit of comment. This has to be looked at urgently because it can change the colour of the game.”

Gavaskar further pointed out that bowlers can use a tape measure to mark their run-up, making it easier to maintain the required distance from the crease.

India to Face Afghanistan in T20I Series

With the Sri Lanka Test series now over, India’s next assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

All three matches are scheduled to take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, on September 13, 15 and 17.

Several prominent players, including Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, are expected to feature in the series as India look to continue their strong run and dominate Afghanistan.