The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a major new rule two days before the beginning of the much-awaited edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). As per the new rule, a second ball will be used after the 10th over of the second innings. However, this will only be applied to the evening games as this has been done to counter the dew factor which sometimes plays as an advantage to the team batting second.
Consequently, after the tenth over, the captains will have the authority to request a change of ball. Nevertheless, the umpire will decide whether to permit it based on the outfield's conditions. Additionally, the new ball will be a like-for-like replacement of the previous one. As a result, the teams will not receive a brand-new ball in its place. Additionally, only evening matches will be subject to the restriction.
Due to the bowlers' severe disadvantage in the second innings, the dew factor has determined the outcome of multiple games in the IPL's 17-year existence. To achieve the proper balance between bat and ball, the rule was introduced.
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The saliva ban also lifted
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 prohibition on using saliva on balls has been abolished by the BCCI. The notion of using saliva was approved by most IPL team leaders during their meeting on Thursday, March 20. The captains had the final say in the subject, which had already been discussed internally by the BCCI. The captains made the decision today to permit the usage of saliva during this IPL season.
The International Cricket Council's ban on saliva since the COVID-19 outbreak has severely limited fast bowlers' capacity to produce reverse swing, a crucial tool in their toolbox for a long time. The IPL and other T20 tournaments across the world likewise implemented the rule. However, a number of athletes and commentators have argued for lifting the ban on saliva use because the risk of contracting Covid-19 has considerably decreased.