IPL team captains pose for a photo in Mumbai on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: Sportzpics/IPL
The Indian Premier League (IPL) will witness a ball change early on in the second half of a 7.30 pm start game this edition. The amendment has been introduced in a bid to reduce the impact of dew and make the matches a level-playing field for the bowlers.
After the 11th over of the chase, the ball will be replaced with a scruffed-yet-dry one. The IPL and BCCI executives confirmed the addition to the playing conditions during the IPL captains’ meeting at the BCCI headquarters here on Thursday.
“It was discussed and received well during the meeting. The primary objective is to keep the bowlers in play even after the dew makes it difficult to grip the ball,” an insider who attended the meeting told The Hindu, preferring anonymity.
However, it is understood that the teams hoped that the rule be extended to both the innings since most venues witness the impact of dew right from the first ball. But it was explained in the meeting that with the introduction of the new rule, captains will be apprehensive about blindly opting to chase.
Besides the ball change, the IPL has also reintroduced usage of saliva to polish the ball, prevented since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Interestingly, the IPL authorities have also done away with the suspension of captains for over-rate offences.
While Hardik Pandya will miss Mumbai Indians’ season-opener against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday, Rishabh Pant missed Delhi Capitals’ key clash against Lucknow Super Giants last year since the team had committed three over-rate offences. Now on, the captains will only be heavily penalised financially.
Published – March 20, 2025 08:46 pm IST
