BCCI implements major rule change for IPL 2025 following complaint from Mohammed Shami; lifts ban on....

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially lifted the ban on bowlers using saliva during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. This decision was a hot topic during a meeting on Thursday, March 20, in Mumbai, where all 10 team captains gathered. Most of the captains were on board with this change, which led to the ban being lifted.

During the meeting, the captains also got updates on various regulations and commitments related to broadcast media. They discussed several other important rules too, including the allowance of two bouncers, the concept of retired out, Super Overs, the innings timer, the 60-second clock, impact player designation, waist-high full tosses, and the Code of Conduct.

The saliva ban was initially implemented by the International Cricket Council due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly affected fast bowlers' ability to create reverse swing. This rule was also adopted by the IPL and other T20 tournaments around the globe. However, as the risk of COVID-19 has decreased, many athletes and commentators have been advocating for the ban on saliva use to be lifted.

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been outspoken in his desire to lift the ban on using saliva to shine cricket balls. He believes it is critical to keep the art of reverse swing alive in the game.

"We are trying [to get reverse swing], but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed," Shami told media after India's Champions Trophy semi-final win over Australia.

"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 added.

According to the current playing conditions, if a player uses saliva on the ball for the first time, the captain of the fielding team will be called over and given a first warning. If it happens a second time during the same innings, the captain receives a second and final warning, making it clear that any further incidents by any team member will lead to that player being fined by the BCCI.

If there’s a third instance or more, the player who used saliva on the ball will be informed that they face a fine, which will be either 10 lakh or 25 percent of their match fee, whichever is lower.

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