In a significant change from the previous ruling, cricketers are now permitted to use saliva to polish the ball during the ongoing IPL 2025 season. This decision marks the reversal of a ban that was instituted by the ICC in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Reports indicate that the BCCI made this decision after receiving backing from a majority of the franchise captains.

The BCCI's choice also followed complaints from several leading fast bowlers in international cricket regarding the impact of the saliva ban on their ability to execute reverse swing deliveries. Prominent among those advocating for the ban's reversal was Mohammed Shami. Following India's victory over Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final this year, Shami expressed that the saliva ban hindered bowlers' capacity to deliver reverse swing. He further noted that reinstating the use of saliva would enhance the excitement of matches. Since the implementation of the saliva ban, games, particularly in limited-overs formats, have increasingly favored batters.

Shami's stance was echoed by his teammate Mohammed Siraj, who welcomed the decision to lift the ban for IPL 2025.

Conversely, Mitchell Starc, regarded as one of the premier fast bowlers in contemporary cricket, disagrees with Shami and Siraj. The Australian pacer was named Player of the Match on Wednesday as DC triumphed over RR in a thrilling encounter that culminated in a Super Over, which he helped secure for his team.

‘I don’t use it': Mitchell Starc on saliva

In his post-match comments, he stated, "I do not utilize it. I believe it is a myth. While some individuals swear by it, I fail to see the distinction between sweat and saliva. I do not believe it has any significant impact. It may affect the red ball, but I do not think it influences the white ball."

Shami's earlier remarks regarding the ban on saliva were supported by former international bowlers Vernon Philander and Tim Southee, who noted the absence of reverse swing on pitches that favor batters. Southee expressed that the application of saliva to shine one side of the ball and achieve reverse swing could be considerably more impactful in red-ball cricket compared to white-ball cricket.

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