The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
This decision was made after a meeting with the IPL team captains, where a majority of them supported the reintroduction of saliva. The ban was initially imposed by the ICC during the COVID-19 pandemic as a precautionary measure and later made permanent in international cricket.
The IPL has now become the first major cricketing event to reverse this ban post-pandemic. This move is generally seen as a boost for bowlers, as using saliva helps in maintaining the ball's condition and generating swing, particularly reverse swing, which was becoming increasingly difficult with only sweat being allowe