With the IPL (Indian Premier League) all set to kick off on March 22, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) took centre stage and announced some major rule changes. Most noteworthy of all was the lifting of the saliva ban which has been in play since the Covid-19 pandemic.
The IPL became the first major cricketing event to lift the ban after the pandemic, and with the rule making some huge strides for the bowlers, many stars took centre stage and talked about how the rule change could affect them.
Ahead of the season opener, star KKR spinner Varun Chakravarthy took centre stage and talked about the lifting of the saliva ban changing things for the bowlers. He opined that where the saliva ban lifting would not change much, the ball change rule could see some different results in games.
"I did see the rule changes that have come. I don't think that is going to make too much difference with respect to saliva. Maybe the dew part, where you can change the ball, might help the spinners,” Chakravarthy told the reporters.
"The moment they change the ball, in the 11-12th over, the spinner would be bowling. It won't be that wet, the ball won't be that wet," he added.
It is interesting to note that Varun Chakravarthy, fresh off the Champions Trophy win with India, will be representing Kolkata Knight Riders once again in the tournament. The ace spinner will be in action in the season opener of the tournament.
On March 22, Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the season opener of the IPL 2025 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Where KKR will look to begin their title defence right, RCB will be hoping for redemption and a good start to the season as their title drought continued.