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For the first time in five years, bowlers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be permitted to use saliva on the ball. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) lifted the ban on saliva use for the IPL 2025 season, which is all set to get underway from March 22.
Varun Chakravarthy goes against Shami, Sira on saliva use for bowlers
This decision was reached following a consensus among all ten team captains during a meeting at the BCCI headquarters. The ban, initially implemented by the ICC as a COVID-19 precautionary measure and later made permanent in 2022, was subsequently adopted by the IPL. However, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has reacted to the revoking of saliva ban. He said that the reinstatement of saliva usage will have minimal impact on the game. His comments came right ahead of the IPL 2025 opener which will see defending champions KKR locking horns with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on March 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens stadium.
In addition to the saliva rule change, the BCCI has introduced a new regulation requiring the use of a second new ball in the second innings of each match. This measure aims to mitigate the influence of dew, which can significantly affect ball grip and movement. Varun Chakaravarthy believes this new rule, specifically, may prove beneficial to spin bowlers, as it will help maintain a drier ball throughout the second innings.
"I did see the rule changes that have come. I don't think that is going to make too much difference with respect to saliva. Maybe the dew part, where you can change the ball, might help the spinners. The moment they change the ball, in the 11-12th over, the spinner would be bowling. It won't be that wet, the ball won't be that wet," Varun said ahead of IPL 2025 opener.
Chakaravarthy's take on the saliva rule diverges from the opinions expressed by fellow Indian pacers, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Both Shami and Siraj had previously advocated for bringing back the saliva rule. Mohammed Shami, in particular, had voiced his perspective during the Champions Trophy, stressing on the importance of allowing bowlers to utilize all available methods to influence the game.
"We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game, and it becomes interesting," Shami had earlier said after Champions Trophy clash against Australia.
Siraj also echoed the same sentiment as he had said:
"It's very good for bowlers. It's excellent news for us bowlers because when the ball is not doing anything, applying saliva on the ball will increase the chances of finding some reverse swing. It sometimes aids reverse swing because scrubbing the ball against the shirt will not help (to get reverse swing). But using saliva on the ball will help in maintaining (the shine on one side), and it is important."
