For the first time in four years, bowlers are legally spitting again—and the early data from IPL 2025 shows reverse swing may finally be back in fashion
When the COVID-19 pandemic changed the rules of life in 2020, it also quietly erased a centuries-old cricketing ritual—spitting on the ball. The ban on saliva seemed trivial then, but as IPL seasons rolled on, the damage became clearer: reverse swing, once the great leveller for bowlers, had nearly vanished.
Between IPL 2022 and 2024, pacers struggled to extract meaningful movement beyond the Powerplay. Seamers averaged only 0.35° of swing post the first six overs—compared to 0.52° in IPL 2019, the last entire season before the saliva ban.
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Following the lifting of the ban in 2025, notable changes in swing bowling statistics have emerged. Pacers in the first 16 matches have recorded an average swing of 0.48°, a 37% increase from the previous year's average of 0.35°. Moreover, the final four overs of the first innings show a swing increase of over 30%, rising from 0.31° in 2024 to 0.41° in 2025.
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Swing has been observed to return in bursts, particularly at fuller lengths above 6 m, especially for teams bowling second in dry conditions. These statistics indicate significant gains in a format traditionally favouring batters.
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This season has seen a notable revival in how bowlers manage the cricket ball, yielding impressive statistical performances. For instance, Prince Yadav of Lucknow Super Giants achieved his best swing ever in IPL, extracting 0.62° swing during Overs 13 to 18 against Delhi Capitals.
Similarly, Prasidh Krishna from Gujrat Titans generated an impressive 0.58° of reverse swing while bowling at 139 kph in Ahmedabad, contributing to two middle-order collapses for the opposing team.
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Avesh Khan, also from LSG, demonstrated his skill by taking 4 wickets across 2 matches within the 12th to 18th overs, with each delivery swinging in sharply.
Dew significantly impacts the game, particularly during the second innings, where swing remains minimal, averaging just 0.28° post-powerplay due to damp conditions that equalize the ball's surfaces. Teams often choose a relatively unused ball after the 10-over mark—a result of recent rule changes—because unshined balls work better in dew-affected environments.
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Ultimately, saliva aids in ball maintenance, but it proves ineffective when humidity rises in the evening, making conditions more difficult for bowlers.
The early excitement of IPL 2025 has not met expectations, with its matches showing lower scoring trends. Following SRH's 286 and PBKS's 243 in the opening weekend, only 3 of the subsequent 14 first innings have surpassed the 200-run mark.
The average first innings score is currently 177.3, notably less than IPL 2024's 183.1 and IPL 2023's 186.6. Furthermore, strike rates during the middle overs have dropped from 143.8 to 134.2, indicating that bowlers are increasingly gaining the upper hand.
As the tournament continues and summer heat intensifies, reverse swing conditions may improve. If bowlers use saliva wisely, the contest between bat and ball could become more balanced.
