BCCI Makes Big Change In Saliva Use Rule Ahead Of IPL 2025; Introduces New 2 New-Ball Rule

Only a few days before the start of the next Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made some significant decisions.

Saliva on the ball is no longer prohibited, according to the BCCI. The board has also added the use of a second new ball in only the second innings of the game to this regulation.

The Impact Player Rule remained unchanged despite the implementation of these important rule modifications. Since it first surfaced in the IPL, the regulation has been questioned, and some players have voiced their opposition to it.

Saliva ban revoked after the majority of captains agree

The International Cricket Council's ban on saliva since the COVID-19 pandemic has severely limited fast bowlers' capacity to produce reverse swing, a long-standing and crucial tool in their toolbox. The IPL and other T20 competitions across the world likewise followed the regulation.

Nonetheless, several athletes and pundits have advocated for the abolition of the saliva limit as the likelihood of COVID-19 infections has significantly decreased. Indian fast bowler Mohammad Shami has emphasized the necessity of permitting bowlers to use saliva to add sheen to cricket balls.

According to the PTI report, the BCCI requested that the 10 captains make a judgment regarding the possibility of lifting the ban on saliva use.

The BCCI reportedly abolished the rule on using saliva on the ball for the next IPL 2025 on Thursday, March 20, 2025, after most IPL captains approved of the move.

"The saliva ban has been lifted. The majority of captains were in favor of the move," a top BCCI official told PTI.

With the development on Thursday, the IPL becomes the first major cricketing event to re-introduce saliva's use after the COVID-19 pandemic.

BCCI introduces 2 new balls rule to counter effect of Dew

A second ball regulation for the second innings of a match has been implemented by the BCCI. These are some of the most important choices that the Indian Premier League (IPL) management and the BCCI have made for the next season.

At the captains' and managers' meeting on Thursday, March 20, at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai, the BCCI explained the new regulations. The guidelines were confirmed to Cricbuzz by a reliable source who was present at the meeting at the BCCI headquarters.

The second ball will be used following the eleventh over of the second innings in the match. This rule's main goal is to mitigate the effect of dew, which frequently affects matches played at night.

A fairer playing field is ensured in the matches by the rule's introduction of the second ball, which effectively eliminates any advantage the captain winning the toss could have because of the dew factor.

Impact player rule to stay

There were media reports indicating that the BCCI will discuss the Impact Player rule future too in the captains' meet. The rule was first introduced in IPL 2024 and had criticism from some cricket experts.

However, the BCCI has made it clear that the Impact Player rule will continue to stay.

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