The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted the ban on using saliva to shine the ball in the Indian Premier League (IPL), according to a report by Cricbuzz.
The decision was made during a meeting of captains and team managers at the Cricket Centre in Mumbai, where a majority of captains supported the move.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) had initially banned saliva use in May 2020 as a temporary Covid-19 measure before making it permanent in September 2022. However, the BCCI has now reversed the restriction for IPL 2025, responding to calls from players, including India pacer Mohammed Shami, who recently urged authorities to reconsider the ban to help bowlers generate reverse swing.
We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva, and it will be interesting with the reverse swing.
In another major change for IPL 2025, a second ball will be introduced after the 11th over of the second innings in night matches to counter the impact of dew. The decision on whether to change the ball will rest with the umpires, who will assess the conditions. This rule will primarily apply to night games, while afternoon matches are unlikely to see a second ball in use.
