Mitchell Starc of the Delhi Capitals made news for his opinions on the use of saliva in addition to his game-winning spells following a thrilling Super-Over triumph over the Rajasthan Royals. Saliva is a fiction, according to Starc, who denied that it offers any genuine advantage in white-ball cricket.
The towering left-arm bowler, who held Rajasthan to 11 in the Super Over and defended nine runs in the final over, was important in the Capitals’ victory. Although he received a lot of accolades for his yorker execution, he didn’t think the saliva helped and preferred to use perspiration in white-ball cricket.
“I don’t use it. I think it’s a myth. Some people think they swear by it. I don’t know what the difference is with sweat and saliva. I don’t reckon it makes a difference. It can make a difference on the red ball. I don’t reckon it makes a difference on the white ball,” Starc told Star Sports after the match.
With 10 wickets in six games, including a five-wicket haul against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Starc is one of the IPL’s most influential bowlers this season, although he attributes his success more to perspiration than saliva. He bowled the 18th and 20th overs, keeping Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel quiet under duress and removing Nitish Rana with a swinging yorker.
The Australian speedster often produced yorkers and forced two run-outs in the Super Over, despite a no-ball, ultimately leading Delhi to their fifth victory of the year.
