Bowlers can once again shine the ball with saliva in IPL 2025. This move came following the proposal from the majority of the franchise captains after they made the case to tournament authorities in a meeting held at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday.
Sources reveal that a number of captains were worried about the saliva ban, which was originally introduced by the ICC and implemented at all levels of cricket. They felt that the ban hurt bowlers, especially by lowering the chances of reverse swing, which has become rarer in white-ball cricket like ODIs, where two fresh balls are utilized.
Gujarat Titans (GT) fast bowler Mohammed Siraj also shared similar views.
“This is excellent news for bowlers,” Siraj said to PTI. “When the ball is not doing much, the use of saliva assists in producing some reverse swing. Rubbing the ball against the shirt does not help create this effect, but saliva keeps the shine on one side intact, which is important.”
The application of saliva was first suspended in May 2020 as a temporary solution during the Covid-19 pandemic. In September 2022, the ICC declared the ban permanent. Although bowlers could use sweat to polish the ball, some of the leading personalities in cricket had demanded that an artificial alternative be allowed instead. Jasprit Bumrah had also at that time proposed that an alternative be explored to assist bowlers in keeping the ball in good condition.
Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami recently called on the ICC to reverse the saliva ban, saying, “We are trying to get reverse swing, but without using saliva, it is tough. We keep asking that saliva should be permitted so reverse swing can come back to the game and make it more thrilling.”
Shami’s opinion was backed by retired international bowlers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee. Southee, during ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day, cited the imbalance of bat and ball in contemporary cricket.
“This rule came in during Covid because of health reasons, but as bowlers, we do require some edge,” Southee said. “With teams scoring over 300 quite often, there must be something to help the bowlers. If giving a little bit of saliva can assist, I don’t know why it can’t be reinstated.”
With this rule adjustment in IPL 2025, bowlers will have a new weapon to make the game even and regain an element of skill that had gone missing from the game in past seasons.
