World
India
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic prompted cricket’s global regulators to prohibit saliva use on the ball, pacers in the IPL are once again relying on the age-old technique to generate swing, particularly reverse swing. The rule change, implemented ahead of the tournament’s 18th edition, has already had a telling impact on match outcomes and bowling strategies.
Pacers such as Mohammed Siraj, Mohit Sharma, and Lockie Ferguson have publicly acknowledged the role saliva has played in enhancing their performance this season. With pitches offering little seam movement and boundaries staying small, reverse swing has come as a welcome ally.
Siraj, currently donning the Gujarat Titans jersey, offered a straightforward explanation: “If the ball tails even a little, it’s almost always a wicket.” Sharma, part of the Delhi Capitals’ bowling unit, echoed that sentiment. “There’s no doubt—saliva is making a difference. It’s helping the ball tail in far more consistently,” he said after a recent match.
The physics behind the effect is simple yet significant. “Sweat just isn’t heavy enough,” Sharma explained. “Saliva adds more weight to one side of the ball. That imbalance is what causes late swing. And right now, we don’t even have much dew to account for the movement. It’s the saliva.”
Lockie Ferguson, one of Punjab Kings’ strike bowlers, emphasized the tactical advantage in death overs. “These are high-scoring games, and batters are aggressive till the last ball. But if we can use reverse swing legally and shut down the final overs, it gives us a real fighting chance,” he noted.
Yet not everyone is convinced. Australian pacer Mitchell Starc, whose final-over heroics have been pivotal this season, doesn’t buy the saliva argument. “I think it’s all in the mind,” he said after a recent win. “Maybe it works with a red ball, but I’ve never seen saliva make a real difference on a white ball. Sweat or saliva—there’s no clear impact for me.”
Starc’s contrarian view hasn’t stopped analysts from digging into the data. A recent report by Wisden suggests that there has been a 30% spike in reverse swing deliveries this season—coinciding with the rule’s reinstatement. That figure has only added momentum to the conversation, with many seeing it as statistical proof of saliva’s effectiveness.
Adding another layer to the story is a new regulation this season: the team bowling second can now opt to change the ball after 10 overs, regardless of dew or weather conditions. This measure, aimed at maintaining a level playing field, may also be tipping the scales slightly in favor of the bowlers.
