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What Is Saliva Ban In Cricket? When Did ICC Implement The Rule Before IPL Scrapes It Off?

Aakash Saini

Virat Kohli applying saliva to the ball [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x]Virat Kohli applying saliva to the ball [Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x]

The infamous ‘Saliva Ban’ has been revoked for the IPL 2025 season. The decision was taken during the captains’ meet in Mumbai on Thursday, March 20. The bowlers will now be allowed to apply saliva to the ball as a majority of franchises and decision makers believed that the saliva ban was hurting bowlers in their bid of facilitating reverse swing.

Here, we take a detailed look at the entire ‘Saliva Ban’ episode of cricket, and why was it implemented in the first place by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

History of Saliva Ban in Cricket

The ban on using saliva for polishing the ball was first implemented by the ICC back in May 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the move was put into place as a temporary measure and as a hygiene protocol to fight off the contagious virus, the ICC made the ban permanent a couple of years later in September 2022.

Prior to the ban, bowlers often used to apply saliva to keep the shine on the ball. Since this practice helped bowlers generate reverse swing even with the older ball, Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah urged the ICC to come up with an “alternative” option for bowlers amidst the ban.

Since the IPL is a separate body from the ICC, the BCCI revoked the ban for the upcoming 2025 season on March 20.

Bowlers’ views over Saliva Ban and its revocation

During the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE, senior Indian speedster Mohammed Shami called for the revocation of the Saliva Ban in a bid to make the contest more entertaining between batters and bowlers.

Shami also received much support from former South African fast bowler Vernon Philander and legendary New Zealand paceman Tim Southee.