BCCI lifts saliva ban in IPL after captains agree to Shami’s complaint; counters dew factor with 2nd-new-ball rule

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on Thursday, lifted the COVID-imposed ban on using saliva on the ball in the impending 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the majority of the captains agreed to the proposal.

BCCI revoked ban on saliva(Getty)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned the age-old practice of applying saliva to shine the ball during Covid-19 as a precautionary measure. IPL introduced the rule in the aftermath of the pandemic.

However, the call to remove the ban was more on the cards after India fast bowler Mohammed Shami urged the authorities to do away with it. "We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed. We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting," he said earlier this month, during India's Champions Trophy campaign in Dubai. The statement was echoed by veteran fast bowlers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee.