In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, bowlers have once again found renewed joy after being permitted to use saliva to shine the ball again.
There are already tell-tale signs that this is a positive move. Several bowlers, like Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami, and Mohit Sharma, have reaped benefits as it’s the swing season in the IPL.The ban on saliva imposed during the Covid pandemic was lifted before the start of the 18th edition of the IPL last month, and the effect of the return of saliva and reverse-swing is there to see: fuller lengths have been more economical than shorter lengths for the first time in this decade, this IPL.”If the ball tails a bit, it is a wicket,” explained Siraj, who plies his trade for GT.”Use of saliva is 100% helping the ball reverse swing,” said DC bowler Mohit Sharma. “In 70% of the games, the ball is tailing in, and it’s only because the saliva is heavy, and our sweat is not so heavy. If the ball is heavier on one side, it will tail in. Right now, there’s not as much dew in most grounds to say that the wet ball is also reverse swing,” he explained further.Punjab Kings fast bowler Lockie Ferguson had also shared his thoughts and agreed that using saliva helps to shut out death overs with reverse swing. “From a fast bowler’s point of view, bowling at the death, any assistance we can get to get the ball moving legally and make an impact with it is always greatly appreciated. We have high-scoring games here, which is great… but I suppose if you can shut out overs at the death with the use of reverse swing, then that’s helpful,” he explained in detail. However, Aussie star Mitchell Starc, who defended nine runs in the final over to help DC win a super-over against RR, has stumped everyone by contradicting the claims and bluntly stating that the idea of saliva use helping reverse swing is nothing but a myth. “I think it’s a myth. Some people think they swear by it. I don’t know what the difference is with sweat and saliva. I don’t reckon it makes a difference. It can make a difference to the red ball. I don’t reckon it makes a difference on the white ball,” he said.A study conducted by Wisden adds weight to the discussion. According to it, there is a significant spike of nearly 30 per cent in reverse swing since the return of saliva. This statistical evidence seems to support the claims of bowlers who find saliva beneficial.Interestingly, the debate isn’t solely focused on saliva. A new rule introduced this IPL season grants the team bowling second the option to change the ball after ten overs, regardless of dew conditions. This development is also cited as contributing to the bowlers’ success. Sources suggest that it’s likely a combination of the return of saliva and this new ball-change option that provides bowlers with an edge.Cricket looks beautiful when fast bowlers take wickets with seam, swing and reverse swing. The art of reverse swing was pioneered by former Pakistan fast bowlers Sarfraz Nawaz and Imran Khan to aid bowling on batting-friendly Asian pitches. Sarfraz once bowled a spell of 7 wickets for one run as he took 9/86 versus Australia.