Last Updated on 1 month by Charbel Coorey

New rules have been introduced for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The two most notable, as implemented by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is the lifting of the saliva ban and a second ball available in the second innings, as reported by Cricbuzz.

The saliva ban was introduced during COVID-19. Since the end of bio-secure bubbles and the like, there have been calls for this ban to be lifted. The IPL doing this may see a change in international cricket as well.

“We always keep requesting the authorities to allow us to use saliva so that swing and reverse comes into play during matches,” Mohammed Shami said recently during the Champions Trophy.

The second rule change, and arguably more significant, is a second ball available for teams bowling under lights. Under this rule, teams bowling second can receive a second ball in the 11th over (of a similar condition to a typical 10-over old ball) to counter the impact of dew.

However, this rule is not likely to apply in every match. According to a source in contact with Cricbuzz, the umpires will have the say in whether the ball should be changed depending on the conditions.

“It’s up to the umpires to determine whether the ball needs to be changed. They will decide based on the presence of dew,” said the spokesperson.

New rules aim to provide a more level playing field in IPL 2025

It remains to be seen how the use of saliva helps bowling teams in night games. However, it could bring about some movement during day games where conditions could be more dry and abrasive.

The second ball rule can be a gamechanger, and for the better. So often we see teams bowling second struggle due to dew, where the ball becomes tougher to grip and slides easily onto the bat.

But, the fact this is kept in the hands of the umpires has some fans worried.

It will be interesting to see how these new rules impact proceedings in IPL 2025. There will surely be a close eye kept on how the second ball rule is enforced by umpires, with consistency the key aspect to get right.