End of saliva ban game changer for bowlers: Harbhajan

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh joked that the spinners can survive in the batsman-dominated IPL only by hiding the bats. On a serious note, though, Harbhajan said that the spinners should act like spinners instead of medium pacers, adding that they must bowl with the intent of taking wickets. “The spinners should focus on taking wickets. The likes of Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine have proved their worth. I think the spinners should also focus on spinning the ball,” said Harbhajan.

He also welcomed the rule change by the BCCI, especially allowing the use of saliva to shine the ball. “It’s a great decision from a bowler’s perspective. This was stopped during the Covid pandemic. It will help the bowlers to get swing and drift. This will be a game changer for the bowlers. I mean, the conditions will be different at all the venues, and the teams have to adapt to things quickly. Also, the majority of the matches will be played during the evening hours, and the teams will be playing after sunset as well,” he said.

While appreciating the IPL platform for lifting Indian cricket’s standard, Harbhajan said that youngsters such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will be the players to watch out for this season. He also picked Riyan Parag as a surprise package. Parag will captain Rajasthan Royals in the first three matches in place of regular skipper Sanju Samson, who is recovering from a finger injury.

“Everyone knows how he captained the Assam team in domestic circuit. A couple of matches as a leader could bring the best out of him. There’s no question about his capabilities,” he said.

“Similarly, Abhishek, Shubman and Yashasvi will be the trump cards for their respective sides. They have done a brilliant job in the last eight or nine months, and play up in the order. If they click, their teams will surely win matches. Similarly, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, these youngsters are also my picks among the Indians,” he added.

Punjab Kings spent over Rs 100 crore at the mega auction last year. The revamped team, with only two retained players, has appointed Aussie stalwart Ricky Ponting as its coach and Shreyas Iyer as its skipper in search of a maiden title.

“I just pray they win the IPL title this time. They are a good side, they have included many Australian players, their coach is also from Australia, and on top of it, they have good Indian players as well,” Harbhajan said.

While talking about IPL’s role in shaping Indian cricketing culture, Harbhajan said: “The IPL has given a lot to Indian cricket. I mean, we have so many talented players coming up from this platform, it’s giving job opportunities to so many people.”