IPL 2025: Saliva ban revoked after captains' meeting in Mumbai
Mar 20, 2025
New Delhi [India] March 20 : Bowlers will be allowed to use saliva on the ball in IPL 2025. The decision was made by IPL following a meeting on Thursday at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai, where most of the franchise captains expressed support for the change to the decision-makers of the tournament, as per a report by ESPNcricinfo.
Several captains agreed to revoke the saliva ban adopted by the ICC in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Several fast bowlers have opined that the ban impedes their effectiveness by not allowing reverse swing, which has become uncommon in white-ball cricket, including ODIs, where two new balls are utilized.
The rule against use of saliva was introduced in May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, as a temporary measure, but ICC made it permanent in September 2022, the report said.
Bowlers were only allowed to use sweat to shine the bowl. From time to time, bowlers have raised their voice for revoking saliva ban.
Following India's win over Australia in the Champions Trophy in which Mohammed Shami starred with a three-wicket spell, the bowler had called upon ICC to let bowlers use saliva on the ball again to bring reverse swing back into the game.
"We are trying [to get reverse swing], but using 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," Shami had said, according to ESPNCricinfo.
Southee, who also feels the absence of reverse swing in the game, especially in batting-friendly conditions, had backed Shami. Southee said on ESPN Cricinfo's Match Day programme during the semifinal between New Zealand and South Africa that, as a bowler, one wants some advantage.
"That was a rule brought around COVID-19 with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage. We see the game going the way it is going and seeing sides score 362, more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favour, and whether that's a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I do not see why they could not afford to get that back in," Southee had said, according to ESPNcricinfo.
Fast bowlers feel that using saliva will also help add to their craft in the Test matches.
