“A lot of spinners are bowling like fast bowlers” - Former India cricketer’s massive statement ahead of KKR vs RCB IPL 2025 match

Former India player Harbhajan Singh was critical of the modern spinners' approach in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the 2025 season opener. He said spinners are not trying to turn the ball anymore, but instead trying to contain the batters with defensive bowling.

Over the last five seasons, only one spinner has won the Purple Cap. Yuzvendra Chahal won it in 2022, becoming only the third spinner in IPL history to win the award after Imran Tahir and Pragyan Ojha. With the impact player rule and ultra-aggressive batting approach, spinners' priority, at least for some of them, has been containment rather than impact.

Harbhajan Singh urged the spinners to be brave and actively be in pursuit of wickets despite the batters' relentless aggression.

"I am sorry to say in T20s or IPL, a lot of spinners are bowling like fast bowlers. They are not spinning the ball. They are not attacking and don't have the intent of taking wickets. Spinners need to be a little more brave, take chances. They need to spin the ball, look to flight it, take chances and be in the match," Harbhajan Singh said in a virtual media round table (via India Today).

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) will kickstart with a high-profile clash between the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, March 22.

Prolific spinners like Sunil Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy, and Krunal Pandya are set to be on show in the season opener.

"It is good that bowlers can use saliva again" - Harbhajan Singh weighs in on rule changes for IPL 2025 season

The upcoming season comes with a host of changes, including the lift on the saliva ban. The organizers have amended the rule to bring bowlers into play after Team India pacer Mohammad Shami raised the issue during the 2025 Champions Trophy recently. Furthermore, teams will be allowed to change the ball at the midway point of the innings to combat the dew factor.

In the same interview, Harbhajan Singh opined that revoking the saliva ban might be helpful for spinners as they might get more drift.

"It is good that bowlers can use saliva again, it's a good thing for bowlers. Soon we will see it in international cricket because it is easy to shine the ball with saliva. It brings swing for pacers and drift for spinners," the former off-spinner added.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to lift the ban ahead of the 2025 season, which was made official during the captains' meeting recently. The IPL now marks the first competitive league to witness the application of saliva on the ball since the ban was implemented amid the COVID-19 outbreak.