'Have A Suggestion for India' - Aakash Chopra Wants BCCI to Go The Australia Way For Next WTC Cycle

The fact that the Indian cricket team did not play the WTC Final 2025 was seen by many as a huge failure on the part of the BCCI, given the fact that the Indian board is the most resourceful in world cricket and boasts a good side in the longest format of the game. And as the next cycle to culminate in the 2027 final is set to get underway soon, former India opener Aakash Chopra has made a big suggestion to the Indian board - and indeed, to any board that listens. 

Chopra, who now works as a commentator and analyst, believes that not only the BCCI but all boards around the world need to play more pink ball Tests. 

Day-night Tests have been around since 2015 but only the Australian cricket team play them with any degree of regularity anymore. 

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Will BCCI Revive Home Day-Night Tests? 

And Chopra, in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, said that the BCCI needs to take a leaf out of Australia's book and play them more often. 

"We don't play a lot of pink-ball Test matches. We are reluctant. I have a suggestion, at least for India. I really want pink-ball Test matches," Chopra said.

His reason for more of these matches is simple - most Test games take place on weekdays when both children and adults are busy with school and work, respectively. 

The majority of the action being played under the lights, however, allows more people to potentially head to the stadium and follow the action live. 

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Why Did India Abandon The Experiment? 

It is worth noting that India have played 3 pink ball Test matches at home - the first against Bangladesh in 2019, the second against England in 2021 and the third against Sri Lanka in 2022. 

However, they have not been a part of the Indian home calendar since, with the BCCI believing that they did not draw fan interest as much. 

But context is key. The last 2 pink ball Tests were played on tracks that spun a lot, thus finishing the games early and depriving fans of the most interesting part of a day-night Test - the ball swinging under lights. 

On more sporting tracks, the likes of which India played on in the 2024-25 season, pink ball Tests may work better.