IPL 2025: Sarandeep Singh welcomes second new ball ruling and lifting of saliva ban

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Sarandeep Singh, the former India spinner and national selector, has welcomed the rulings around second new ball rule in chases during evening matches and lifting of saliva ban for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.

The twin rulings ahead of the 18th edition of the IPL came after the BCCI had the mandatory team captains and managers pre-tournament meeting at its headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.

Both rulings come as a big relief for bowlers, as the introduction of a second new ball nullifies the dew factor while lifting the saliva ban, in place internationally since the Covid-19 pandemic broke, would aid IPL bowlers in maintaining the ball and generating a reverse-swing.

“It's a very good decision to have a second new ball because if you look at it, the game has been dominated by the batsmen for a long time. There were big runs - 250-300 runs. It seemed that if there were teams on the verge of making 300 runs, there could have been 300-run chases as well. Plus, for the bowlers, nothing new was coming out for helping them in any way.”

“If you look at it, there were no good spinners or fast bowlers because hitting was very easy for you. So, with this new role being introduced, the bowlers now get a chance to come back and one will get to see better cricket now through this. You will get to see a good competition between the bat and the ball,” said Sarandeep, a JioStar expert, in an exclusive interaction with IANS prior to the 18th edition of the tournament.

Veteran India pacer Mohammed Shami had urged the cricketing world leaders to do away with the saliva ban during the side’s triumphant campaign in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, and it seems like his suggestion was taken seriously by the BCCI to do away with it for IPL 2025.

“Definitely it will be beneficial for bowlers because we had stopped the ball from shining. When we shine from one side and not from the other, the ball starts to reverse. A long time ago, when fast bowlers used to come to bowl the last over, the ball used to reverse. So, you used to get an advantage in that, and the same thing has happened with saliva ruling.”

“With time, it was very important to change these things. Like, in the past, if you had a fever and you got Covid-19, you could still play the game. It's not like you have to be quarantined or have to live somewhere else. So, slowly, with time, these things should have been used. It's a big, brave decision that the BCCI has taken, it will be very beneficial for the bowlers,” added Sarandeep, who was recently Delhi’s head coach in the 2024-25 domestic season.

The Impact Player rule will stay till the 2027 edition of the tournament, and Sarandeep believes the ruling has been beneficial for Indian cricketers so far. “Look, the impact player rule creates a little bit of balance for the teams, as they get an opportunity to get in an extra player while playing a match."

"Like, if your first four wickets fall early, you can bring in an extra batsman. If your bowler is getting hit or the wicket is spinning, or you need a fast bowler, then you can introduce some player from those skillsets based on the situation.”

“So, the impact player rule is a good thing. With these new rules coming in, the teams having bowling innings first will also get an advantage, as the team can play with an extra bowler. "

"Most importantly, your domestic players will get a lot of benefit from this, because you can bring in four foreign players, but your home cricketers will get an extra chance through the impact player rule, whether it’s a good and genuine fast bowler. So, youngsters will also get a chance to play in the team,” he concluded.

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