The IPL season starts from 22 March. Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a big decision. The board has decided to lift the ban on the use of saliva and implement a new rule to use the second ball in the second innings of the match. These changes will be implemented in the upcoming Indian Premier League session.
Meeting with captains and team managers
According to media reports, these new rules were announced during a meeting of captains and team managers at the cricket center of Mumbai on Thursday (20 March). According to the new rule, the second ball in IPL matches will be used after the 11th over of the second innings. The main objective of this rule is to reduce the effects of fog, which usually affects matches played at night. Using the second ball will reduce the potential profit of the toss winning team, making the game more balanced and fair.
The ban on the use of saliva has also been lifted.
Apart from this, the BCCI has also lifted the ban on the use of saliva. The decision was pending for a long time, especially after fast bowler Mohammed Shami’s appeal to cancel the rule. After the recently played the Champions Trophy match in Dubai, Shami requested the authorities to allow the use of saliva to swing and reverse swing. His demand was also supported by international cricketers like Vernon Philander and Tim South.
The use of saliva was banned during the Kovid-19 epidemic, when the International Cricket Council (ICC) took the decision to prevent the spread of the virus. But now that the risk of epidemic has come down, the demand for lifting this ban is continuously increasing. Shami has been one of the most prominent voices seeking this change, advocating amending this rule in world cricket.
