Now, the temptation is stronger. The affluent Indian NRI population extends around the world and venues already under consideration include those in the US (California, New York, Philadelphia), Europe (Netherlands, Ireland), West Asia (Abu Dhabi) and South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore).

BCCI’s primary aim, now, is to secure the global telecast rights to cover India’s matches at neutral venues. The Indian board has already announced a tender bid for global media rights (to be held on April 6) for matches involving India on neutral grounds.

The BCCI is busy connecting to every possible avenue from where they can make themselves richer and in the bargain, even players aren’t really worried if they have to play a few matches more every year, if it comes along with a couple of crores. Currently nobody seems to be talking because the deluge hasn’t begun yet. When it does, though, cricketers will surely have a tougher task on hand.

‘‘Someday, they will have to draw the line. Maybe it still isn’t the case of killing the goose that lays the golden egg but it is sure to have its own repercussions,’’ says a player in the Indian team, himself a victim of injuries and fitness problems.

The seniors and juniors, both, have been playing around 30 matches each at an average, every year. Now only if the gap that provides them some relief in between matches scheduled as per the ICC calendar are also filled, then overtime and exhaustion could surely be in the waiting.