BCCI lifts saliva ban, allows ball change in second inning for IPL 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted the ban on the use of saliva on the ball for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

The decision was made after the majority of the franchise captains agreed to the proposal, Indian media outlets reported.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) banned the practice of using saliva to shine the ball during Covid-19 as a precautionary measure.

Following the ICC, Indian cricket also implemented the rule in the IPL during the pandemic.

However, India fast bowler Mohammed Shami recently called on the ICC to allow the use of saliva to ‘reinstate’ the art of reverse swing.

“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 during the Champions Trophy 2025.

Read more: Shami requests on ICC to reconsider saliva ban on cricket ball

Mohammed Shami’s call was also echoed by South Africa’s Vernon Philander and New Zealand’s Tim Southee.

While the ICC is yet to give its take on the rule, the BCCI has decided to revoke the ban on saliva for the upcoming IPL 2025.

“The saliva ban has been lifted. The majority of captains were in favour of the move,” Indian media quoted a BCCI official as saying.

Additionally, the Indian cricket board also introduced a fresh measure to counter dew as a major factor in the IPL 2025 games.

The Indian cricket board has allowed the use of a second ball in the second innings of a game.

According to Indian media outlets, teams will be able to introduce the second ball after the 11th over in the second innings.

The rule is aimed at nullifying any advantage that the captain winning the toss might have due to the dew factor.