The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to bring notable changes aimed at relieving the burden on bowlers, who have often found themselves overwhelmed by soaring scores in recent years. With the introduction of the Impact Player rule and consistently flatter pitches, bowlers have had a challenging time maintaining their effectiveness. However, starting from March 22, 2025, bowlers will receive much-needed support as the use of saliva to shine the ball has been reinstated. This decision comes after a campaign to revive its use, which was banned globally during the Covid pandemic.
In addition to the return of saliva use, bowlers will have the option of utilizing a second new ball after the 11th over of the second innings, provided the umpires agree that the conditions warrant this due to excess dew on the field. The changes reflect the IPL's recognition of the challenges faced by bowlers amidst relentless batting attacks.
While bowlers will gain these advantages, the Impact Player rule will remain unchanged until at least 2027, despite calls from several teams wishing to revert to traditional rules, which limit substitutions in non-injury situations. This situation leaves pitchers still contending with scoring onslaughts from batters, as the fundamental structure of the game continues to evolve.
The upcoming tournament, kicking off on Saturday at Eden Gardens, features a strong international presence, particularly from South Africa, which boasts a total of 17 players in the league. Yet, many of these players have been added as last-minute replacements and may face limited playing time. Among them are new faces like Wiaan Mulder, Ryan Rickelton, Mathew Breetzke, and Corbin Bosch, all hoping to make a lasting impression in their first IPL experience.
Veteran cricketer Faf du Plessis, now 40, returns to represent Delhi Capitals alongside youthful talents like Tristan Stubbs and Donovan Ferreira. Remarkably, the Chennai Super Kings are the sole team this season without any South African players, demonstrating the diversity of national representation within the league.
The IPL 2025 season commences with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders hosting the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 22 at 7:30 PM local time (4 PM CAT). The excitement continues into the following day, March 23, with a double-header where Sunrisers Hyderabad faces Rajasthan Royals in the afternoon, and Mumbai Indians travel to face the Chennai Super Kings at night. Interestingly, the Mumbai Indians have not won their opening game for a staggering 12 years, a statistic that fans will be eager to see change this time around.
Here’s a quick overview of some teams and their key players for the season:
Chennai Super Kings
Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad
Indian Stars: MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda
Overseas Players: Rachin Ravindra (NZ), Sam Curran (Eng), Devon Conway (NZ), Jamie Overton (Eng), Nathan Ellis (Aus), Noor Ahmad (Afg), Matheesha Pathirana
South Africans: None
Kolkata Knight Riders
Captain: Ajinkya Rahane
Indian Stars: Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy
Overseas Players: Rovman Powell (WI), Moeen Ali (Eng), Sunil Narine (WI), Andre Russell (WI), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afg), Spencer Johnson (Aus)
South Africans: Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje
Rajasthan Royals
Captain: Sanju Samson
Indian Stars: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag
Overseas Players: Shimron Hetmyer (WI), Wanindu Hasaranga (SL), Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afg), Maheesh Theekshana (SL), Jofra Archer (Eng)
South Africans: Kwena Maphaka
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Captain: Pat Cummins (Aus)
Indian Stars: Ishan Kishan, Mohammad Shami, Rahul Chahar, Jaydev Unadkat
Overseas Players: Travis Head (Aus), Kamindu Mendis (SL), Adam Zampa (Aus), Eshan Malinga (SL), Devon Conway (NZ)
South Africans: Heinrich Klaasen, Wiaan Mulder
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Captain: Rajat Patidar
Indian Stars: Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Overseas Players: Tim David (Aus), Liam Livingstone (Eng), Jacob Bethell (Eng), Romario Shepherd (WI), Phil Salt (Eng), Josh Hazlewood (Aus), Nuwan Thushara (SL)
South Africans: Lungi Ngidi
Delhi Capitals
Captain: Axar Patel
Indian Stars: Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav
Overseas Players: Jake Fraser-McGurk (Aus), Dushmantha Chameera (SL), Mitchell Starc (Aus)
South Africans: Faf du Plessis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira
Punjab Kings
Captain: Shreyas Iyer
Indian Stars: Praveen Dubey, Prabhsimran Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Overseas Players: Marcus Stoinis (Aus), Glenn Maxwell (Aus), Aaron Hardie (Aus), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afg), Josh Inglis (Aus), Lockie Ferguson (NZ), Xavier Bartlett (Aus)
South Africans: Marco Jansen
Mumbai Indians
Captain: Hardik Pandya
Indian Stars: Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Jasprit Bumrah
Overseas Players: Will Jacks (Eng), Mitchell Santner (NZ), Bevon Jacobs (NZ), Reece Topley (Eng), Trent Boult (NZ), Mujeeb ur Rahman (Afg)
South Africans: Corbin Bosch, Ryan Rickelton
Gujarat Titans
Captain: Shubman Gill
Indian Stars: Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Overseas Players: Glenn Phillips (NZ), Sherfane Rutherford (WI), Rashid Khan (Afg), Jos Buttler (Eng), Karim Janat (Afg)
South Africans: Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada
Lucknow Super Giants
Captain: Rishabh Pant
Indian Stars: Ayush Badoni, Abdul Samad, Ravi Bishnoi, Akash Deep
Overseas Players: Mitchell Marsh (Aus), Nicholas Pooran (WI), Shamar Joseph (WI)
South Africans: David Miller, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke.
The IPL 2025 season promises to be an exciting venture for bowlers and fans alike as these changes take effect, adding another layer of anticipation to one of the most followed and celebrated cricket leagues in the world.
