IPL 2025 Rule Change: The BCCI has introduced a few changes ahead of IPL 2025 starting March 22. The apex body and league’s governing council met with all the ten captains and the team managers in a crucial pre-season meeting in Mumbai on Thursday, informing them of revoking the use of saliva on the cricket ball and introducing a second new ball in the second innings during evening games.

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Lifting the ban on saliva came after India seamer Mohammed Shami echoed concerns about the wrath faced by the bowlers in death overs, with the lack of reverse swing further denting their morale in One-Dayers mainly. 

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"We always keep requesting the authorities to allow us to use saliva so that swing and reverse comes into play during matches," Shami said after guiding India home in the Champions Trophy 2025, with former seamers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee throwing their support behind him. 

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After the COVID-19 virus gripped the world sometime in early 2020, the ICC decided to ban saliva usage on a cricket ball to avoid its spread. However, with the virus and pandemic all behind us, calls to revoke the ban began doing rounds.

The story behind the second new ball

Meanwhile, (the use of) the second new ball in the second innings could change the competition’s dynamics, with the main factor behind this rule being to counter the dew’s impact during evening matches.

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Per the latest report, the second new ball will come into the picture after the 11th over of the second innings, helping nullify the dew factor the winning captain enjoyed taking, further ensuring the balance between bat and ball. Though it’s unlikely that the rule will come into the picture for the day games, given there is no dew around, it's still for the on-field umpires to decide if the fielding team shall be using the second new ball during evening matches.

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"It's up to the umpires to determine whether the ball needs to be changed. They will decide based on the presence of dew," a source close to the information informed Cricbuzz.

Meanwhile, the 18th edition of the cash-rich league will get underway on Saturday, with the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders facing Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the iconic Eden Gardens in the curtain raiser. 

On Sunday, the first double header of this season, SunRisers Hyderabad will host Rajasthan Royals, with Chennai Super Kings facing Mumbai Indians in the marquee clash later in the evening. 

(With inputs from agencies)