BCCI Reinstates Saliva Use for Ball Shining in IPL 2025

Synopsis

The BCCI has lifted the ban on saliva use for ball shining in IPL 2025, allowing bowlers to utilize it for reverse swing, a decision made after a captains' meeting in Mumbai. Additionally, a second ball will be introduced to counter dew effects in night matches.

Key Takeaways

BCCI reinstates saliva use for ball shining.
Decision made after captains' approval in Mumbai.
ICC's previous ban stemmed from Covid-19 precautions.
Mohammed Shami advocated for saliva's return.
Second ball rule introduced to combat dew in night games.

New Delhi, March 20 (NationPress) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially revoked the prohibition on the use of saliva to shine the ball ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, which is set to begin on Saturday. This resolution was reached during a meeting of the captains and managers at the board's headquarters in Mumbai, following a majority agreement among the captains on the proposal.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had initially prohibited the use of saliva in May 2020 as a temporary measure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this ban became permanent in September 2022.

As reported by Cricbuzz, the decision to reinstate saliva use is a significant measure taken by the BCCI and IPL management for the forthcoming season.

This decision follows a request from Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who encouraged officials to lift the saliva ban in international cricket to aid bowlers in achieving reverse swing from the ball. Shami stated, "We are trying to reverse 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," after a Champions Trophy match in Dubai.

Another important decision by the BCCI for IPL 2025 involves the introduction of a second ball after the 11th over of the second innings to mitigate the effects of dew that often influence night matches, as indicated in the report.

Furthermore, it has been mentioned that the decision regarding ball changes will be left to the umpires' discretion. "It's up to the umpires to determine whether the ball needs to be changed. They will decide based on the presence of dew," a source told Cricbuzz.

This new rule will primarily target night games, making it unlikely for a second ball to be utilized during afternoon matches, according to the report.