BCCI Lifts Ban on Applying Saliva to Cricket Ball for IPL 2024

Mumbai:The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has lifted the ban on applying saliva to the cricket ball for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This decision was made during a meeting between the IPL team captains and managers held yesterday, where most of the captains supported the move.

The BCCI had already conducted internal consultations on the matter, but the final decision was left to the team captains. Alongside this, the BCCI has also introduced a new rule for the second innings of the game, involving two balls to counter the effects of dew and ensure that the team winning the toss does not gain any undue advantage. The second ball will be used after the 11th over of the second innings.

Gujarat Titans’ fast bowler, Mohammad Siraj, welcomed the decision, stating that using saliva on the ball would help fast bowlers generate reverse swing. He said, “This is great news for us because when the ball is not doing much, applying saliva can help increase the chances of reverse swing.” He further explained that while rubbing the ball on the shirt is not effective in getting reverse swing, saliva helps maintain the shine on one side of the ball, which is crucial for reverse swing.

The use of saliva on the cricket ball had been banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following the COVID-19 pandemic, making it challenging for fast bowlers to generate reverse swing. The BCCI had also maintained the restriction in 2020 after moving the IPL abroad due to the pandemic. However, with the new ruling, IPL players and teams will now have the opportunity to use saliva once again in their quest for reverse swing.