IPL 2025: Lifting saliva ban aids Mohammed Siraj’s return to type | Cricket Information

Mohammed Siraj (BCC/IPL Picture)

HYDERABAD/CHENNAI: Mohammed Siraj is a person on a mission. At the moment sitting out of the India white-ball set-up, Siraj is serving a well timed reminder to the nationwide selectors with result-determining performances for Gujarat Titans (GT) within the ongoing Indian Premier League IPL season.
The quick bowler on Sunday prolonged his purple patch, with a four-wicket haul to engineer GT’s complete win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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Siraj is proving one of many greatest beneficiaries of the lifting of the saliva ban within the league, stressing that the return of the previous rule has taken some burden off the bowlers.
“Sure, 100%,” the paceman stated on whether or not the previous rule helps him within the IPL, “If the ball tails a bit, there’s a wicket. When saliva is just not utilized on the ball, it comes onto the bat simply. Even when the ball tails solely a bit, there’s a likelihood for bringing bowled and leg-before dismissals into play.”
Former India pacer and present Tamil Nadu head coach L Balaji felt that saliva has extra impression on the ball than sweat.
“There may be extra sodium content material in sweat and the ball will get heavy when sweat is utilized on it. Saliva, then again, helps in sustaining the steadiness of the ball higher. The ball absorbs saliva nicely. By making use of saliva, Siraj may very well be getting a greater grip on the ball and buy off it,” Balaji, former bowling coach of Chennai Tremendous Kings, instructed TOI on Monday.
The applying of saliva helps in sustaining a shinier facet on the ball and brings reverse swing into the equation. Siraj on Sunday displayed the advantages quick bowlers may reap, dispensing in-swingers which led to a double haul within the penultimate over.
The IPL first prevented the usage of saliva through the Covid-19 pandemic and lifted the ban simply forward of the continuing season. The ban, although, remains to be there in worldwide cricket.
Balaji stated that utilizing saliva was what bowlers of this technology had grown up with and when out of the blue taken away, it turned troublesome.
“There’s a factor known as consolation degree. I’m certain that’s in Siraj’s case as nicely. Add to that his expertise and he’s actually wanting good,” stated the previous pacer.
Whereas saliva has been a assist because the frequency of 200-plus chases has come down considerably, ex-Australian legend Glenn McGrath had earlier stated: “I don’t assume that saliva is the difficulty; soaking on mint and different issues is. I’ve no challenge with utilizing saliva so long as there may be nothing else getting used.”