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BCCI has lifted the ban on the use of saliva by bowlers during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 which was one of the main items on the agenda when the captains of all 10 teams met on Thursday, March 20, in Mumbai. The decision was taken after majority of captains agreed to it. All the 10 captains were briefed on regulations and broadcast media commitments during the meeting. Some other major rules, including two bouncers, retired out, Super Overs, innings timer, 60-second clock, impact player, waist-high full tosses, and the Code of Conduct, were also discussed during the meeting.
The International Cricket Council's ban on saliva since the COVID-19 outbreak has severely limited fast bowlers' capacity to produce reverse swing, a crucial tool in their toolbox for a long time. The IPL and other T20 tournaments across the world likewise implemented the rule. However, a number of athletes and commentators have argued for lifting the ban on saliva use because the risk of contracting Covid-19 has considerably decreased.
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Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has emphasized how crucial it is to let bowlers utilize saliva to keep cricket balls shiny.
"We are trying to reverse (swing), but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game. We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva, and it will be interesting with the reverse swing," Shami said.
By pointing out that sweat makes the ball heavier, the veteran fast bowler also emphasized the drawbacks of utilizing it for reverse swing.
In a 2020 interview with India Today, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar warned of bowlers' failures as a result of the saliva prohibition and even recommended applying wax to the cricket ball to make it shine.
"The game will change for sure. According to the new rules from the ICC, saliva has been banned, so how will the ball swing now or in the middle overs? In some countries, players don't sweat much because of the weather, so how will you shine the ball? For such situations, a box of wax can be given to the umpires. The ICC should decide how many grams of wax to give. Per innings, the quota can be set-whatever the ICC deems correct," he said
