BOWLERS will be allowed to apply saliva on balls in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League that will commence in Kolkata on Saturday (22), local media said on Thursday.
The use of saliva to shine one side of the old ball and keep the other rough helps fast bowlers get the leather ball to swing late.
The T20 competition barred the practice after it was banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) as a precautionary measure during the pandemic.
But on Thursday reports said the Board of Control for Cricket in india (BCCI) had lifted the ban for the latest IPL season starting Saturday after a majority of team captains agreed on the move.
"The saliva ban has been lifted. Majority of captains were in favour of the move," a top BCCI official told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The Indian Express newspaper also quoted an unnamed BCCI official as saying: "This was the BCCI’s domestic tournament and so we are not bound by ICC's guidelines here."
India pace spearhead Mohammed Shami recently made an appeal to allow the use of saliva in the game's 50-over format.
"We are trying to reverse, but you are not getting the use of saliva into the game," Shami told reporters in Dubai during the Champions Trophy.
"We are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva and it will be interesting with the reverse swing." (AFP)
Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Getty Images
Argentina's forward #10 Lionel Messi cries during the trophy ceremony at the end of the 2026 World Cup football tournament final match between Spain and Argentina at the New York/New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford on July 19, 2026.Getty Images
Shakira performs during the Topps Final Halftime Show the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final match between Spain and Argentina at New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Getty Images
Haze from Canadian wildfires blankets the Manhattan skyline, including the Empire State Building, as seen from Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 17, 2026 in New York City. New York City has been under an Air Quality Health Advisory as the Canadian and Great Lakes wildfire smoke gradually moves through the area, creating a thick haze in the heat. Getty Images