Shane Warne wants Sourav Ganguly to implement ‘5 overs per bowler’ rule in IPL 2020

Australian legend Shane Warne had recently come up with a unique suggestion to help provide more of a contest between bat and ball in the shortest format.

He said that each bowler should be allowed to bowl a maximum of five overs, one more than the current permissible quota. And, now, he has asked the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to implement the same in IPL 2020.

In his recent tweet, Shane Warne has tagged the International Cricket Council (ICC), IPL and Ganguly, asking them to try out the change in the upcoming IPL. which starts on September 19th.

“Getting a lot of great reply’s to my suggestion re a maximum of 5 overs per bowler in T/20 cricket! Let’s make it happen ASAP @ICC! Maybe we could try it in the @IPL starting on September 19 @SGanguly99,” read the tweet.

Getting a lot of great reply’s to my suggestion re a maximum of 5 overs per bowler in T/20 cricket ! Let’s make it happen ASAP @ICC ! Maybe we could try it in the @IPL starting on Sept 19 @SGanguly99 👍

— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) September 8, 2020

Shane Warne, who is the second highest wicket-taker in Tests with 708 wickets, believes the change will not only level the playing field, but also enable captains to use their best bowlers throughout the innings. In turn, that would also allow teams to play an extra specialist batsmen.

“What about four bowlers bowl five overs? I just think it’ll make for a better contest between bat and ball. You want your best bowlers bowling as much as you can as T20 is so much in the batsmen’s favour. When you get a couple of gun bowlers like this [Archer and Wood], you want to give them another over up front,” Shane Warne said on Sky Sports Cricket while calling the second T20I between England and Australia.

Not everyone is on the same page as Shane Warne

New Zealand v England - ICC Cricket World Cup Final 2019

Shane Warne’s recent tweet, however, has polarised opinion. While some are in favour of this change, others have rejected it saying it would be harsh on all-rounders.

The current rules allow bowlers to bowl a maximum of four overs in a T20 innings, while there is no upper limit on the total number of bowlers that can bowl in a particular innings.