IPL 2025 | 'I can go for...,' DC pacer Mohit Sharma on ball change and use of saliva rules

Delhi Capitals pacer Mohit Sharma believes bowlers finally have something to smile about in IPL 2025. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said the return of saliva application on the ball and a new rule allowing teams to change the ball giving bowlers more control and a fairer chance to perform.

“100% it’s helping,” Mohit said when asked about using saliva again. “In 70% of matches, the ball is tailing in. That’s only because saliva is heavier than sweat. When one side of the ball is heavier, it helps in reverse swing. Sweat doesn’t give that effect.”

Use of saliva was banned in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and it stayed for five years. Ahead of IPL 2025 though, most team captains requested that it (use of saliva) be brought back and the rule was changed consequently. For fast bowlers like Mohit, it’s been a game-changer, especially in the second half of the innings when reverse swing becomes more effective.

And that’s not all, another new rule is also giving bowlers an advantage. The team bowling second can now change the ball anytime after the 10th over, even if there’s no dew. This is especially useful when the ball gets too wet or soft, making it harder to grip and bowl accurately. 

Mohit shared an example from DC’s last match against the Mumbai Indians. “There was some dew, and MI changed the ball after 13 overs. Karn Sharma came in to bowl with the new ball, and it turned straightaway. He got Stubbs out in that same over.”

Mohit explained that a dry, harder ball makes a big difference, especially in the death overs. “If I’m bowling the 14th or 15th over after the change, I can go for my yorkers confidently. The ball won’t slip.”

These two rule changes, the use of saliva and ball change, may seem small, but they’re helping bowlers to get back in the contest. In a tournament usually ruled by batters, IPL 2025 is slowly turning into a season where bowlers can finally fight back.