The primary objective of changing the ball in the second innings is to counter the impact of dew in night matches © AFP The second ball clause in the second innings of an Indian Premier League (IPL) match, seemingly, has caused some confusion. On Friday (March 21), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued a detailed clarification. According to an email sent to the franchises, it is now clear that more than two balls can actually be used in the second innings. To begin with it must not be a new ball, but one with some wear and tear. Secondly, once the fielding captain makes a request to change the ball on account of wetness/dew, it is incumbent on the part of umpires to change it, even if the ball was changed by umpires just an over before because of wetness or poor shape, etc. And thirdly, the request for the ball change on the grounds of dew can be made only after the 10th over. More significantly, the umpires retain the right to change the ball at any time during the game on their own volition. The BCCI note says: The bowling captain can make this request, regardless of whether there is visible dew or not. Once the request is made, the umpires will mandatorily replace the ball with another one of similar wear and tear. The bowling team will not have the liberty to choose the replacement ball. Additionally, the umpires retain the authority to change the ball at any time before the 10th over if it is deemed too wet, out of shape, lost, or damaged. If a captain requests a ball change in the 11th over due to it being out of shape, the umpires will evaluate the request and approve it if deemed necessary. If a subsequent request is made after a few overs solely due to dew, the umpires will be required to replace the ball mandatorily as stated earlier. The BCCI note further states, “Team bowling second can request for a change of ball only once after the completion of the 10th Over. The bowling Captain can request for the change. This is applicable only once during the 2nd innings of the evening games irrespective of whether there is dew or no dew on the outfield. This request must be made only after the end of an over & not during an over. The umpires will change the ball with another ball having the same wear & tear. Further, the umpires can also change the ball at their discretion at any time during the match.” Further, the BCCI outlines three scenarios when a change of ball could be necessitated. Scenario 1: Umpires can change the ball for being wet/out of shape/lost/damaged any time before the 10th over. The fielding captain can still request for a ball change because of dew after the completion of the 10th over and the umpires will have to mandatorily change the ball. Scenario 2: Captain requests to change the ball after 11th over for being wet and the umpires change it. After further 5-6 overs the captain can request for another ball change but this time it will be the discretion of the umpires to change the ball or not. Scenario 3: Captain feels the ball is damaged or out of shape & requests the umpires to change it during the 11th over, the umpires are satisfied & decide to change the ball. After 5 overs the fielding captain requests the umpires to change the ball because of dew, umpires will have to mandatorily change the ball. Use of saliva to shine the ball “Effective from the IPL 2025 season, bowlers will be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. This decision follows consultations with all 10 team captains at the Captain’s meeting and marks a return to traditional ball maintenance practices. The ban on the use of saliva, which was originally imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has now been lifted,” the BCCI states. Expansion of DRS Scope The Decision Review System (DRS) has been expanded to include height-based no-ball reviews and wide-ball reviews outside the off-stump. The updated system will utilize Hawk-Eye technology and ball-tracking to assist umpires in making accurate and consistent decisions. All these points, understandably, were discussed and approved during the Captains meeting in the BCCI office in Mumbai on Thursday.
