IPL 2025: BCCI lifts ban on use of saliva on balls ahead of tournament
PTC News Desk: In a significant move, the Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) has lifted ban on the use of saliva on balls during matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The decision was taken during a captains' meeting on Thursday March 20.
The BCCI had already discussed the matter internally, and it was up to the captains to make the final decision. Eventually the captains decided to allow the use of saliva for this season of IPL.
It was only after the Covid pandemic that the International Cricket Council banned the use of saliva, while limiting fast bowlers' ability to generate reverse swing—a key weapon in their arsenal.
The BCCI prohibited the use of saliva in the IPL following the significant Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, which forced the tournament to be relocated entirely from India. Similarly, the second half of the 2021 IPL was held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after coronavirus cases were detected in the IPL camps during the first half of the season.
- With inputs from agencies
