March 22, 2025: Harbhajan Singh, the sixth-highest wicket-taker among spinners in IPL history, has raised concerns about the current approach of spinners in T20 cricket.
He believes that many spinners today lack the attacking mindset and bravery that traditional spinners had. “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,” Harbhajan commented, emphasizing that spinners need to be more courageous and take risks to spin the ball and look to take wickets.
Harbhajan’s remarks come after a season where only two spinners made it to the top 10 wicket-takers. Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy (21 wickets) of Kolkata Knight Riders and Yuzvendra Chahal (18 wickets) of Rajasthan Royals were the only spinners to feature in the top 10 list.
In light of recent changes to the IPL regulations, Harbhajan has also shared his views on the return of the saliva ban lift and the availability of a second new ball for the team bowling second in dewy conditions. He expressed his approval of both decisions, noting that the ability to use saliva again would be a significant advantage for bowlers. “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,” Harbhajan said.
He also welcomed the decision to allow a second new ball in dewy conditions, explaining, “We have seen how dew can affect a game. It will be up to captains to decide when to take the second ball. I feel they will take it when the ball gets wet and becomes difficult to handle.”
Harbhajan, who has played for three IPL franchises throughout his 14-year IPL career, has taken 150 wickets in 163 matches at an average of 26.86, including a five-wicket haul. However, his record could soon be surpassed by Rashid Khan, the Afghan leg-spinner for Gujarat Titans. Rashid, who had a quiet season in the last IPL, now needs just two wickets to overtake Harbhajan’s tally.