The Board of Control for Cricket in India, commonly known as BCCI, has rolled out some exciting new rules for the upcoming IPL 2025 season, which kicks off on March 22. One of the most talked-about changes is the lifting of the ban on using saliva to shine the cricket ball. This ban was put in place as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic back in May 2020 and later became a permanent rule by the ICC in September 2022. Many fast bowlers have expressed that not being able to use saliva affects their game, especially when it comes to generating reverse swing – a technique that’s become pretty rare in white-ball formats like ODIs, where two new balls are used. Before, bowlers could only shine the ball with sweat, which isn’t quite the same.
Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami raised this issue again during the recent ICC Champions Trophy, pointing out how tricky this ban has been for bowlers. In response to the challenges players face from dew on the pitch in night games, BCCI has decided to allow a ball change after the 11th over of the second innings for evening matches. This new rule gives on-field umpires the authority to approve any extra ball changes based on their judgment.
These decisions came about during a meeting with all ten team captains on Thursday, where they discussed how best to approach the playing rules. Flower, who spoke at a pre-match press conference in Kolkata, shared his thoughts on the rule change regarding ball changes. He’s always found it puzzling why umpires hesitated to allow ball changes. “We want a fair contest,” he said, emphasizing that balancing the game between batters and bowlers is essential. When the conditions impact the game, like when dew is a factor, he believes these changes are welcome and long overdue.
Chakravarthy also weighed in, suggesting that having a fresh ball during the second innings can change how a match unfolds, especially for spinners who handle the ball differently. He noted that if a ball change happens during key overs, spinners might benefit because the new ball won’t be damp, allowing them to bowl more effectively.
That said, both Flower and Chakravarthy don’t think the lifting of the saliva ban will change much for bowlers. Flower pointed out that he doesn’t see the saliva ban as having a huge impact on the game. He humorously added that unless a lot of players suddenly develop a sweet tooth, he doubts it will make a big difference. Chakravarthy echoed this sentiment, simply stating, “I don’t think it’s going to change much regarding saliva.”
As fans and players gear up for IPL 2025, it looks like these rule changes are meant to shake things up a bit and help create a more level playing field. It’ll be interesting to see how everything plays out as the matches unfold!
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