The IPL is also considering a move that can expand the usage of DRS in the new season
In an interesting development ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the BCCI is considering to lift the ban on using saliva to shine the ball, according to a report by PTI.
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, all cricket competitions around the world have kept away from the old-school practice of roughing up one side of the ball to aid swing.
In 2022, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had made the ban permanent. The IPL, which no longer adheres to those guidelines after the pandemic, is likely to restore the rule after a discussion with all the franchise captains.
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The BCCI will present the proposal before the captains during the meeting in Mumbai on Thursday.
“Using saliva on the ball was part of the essence of the game until COVID hit. Now that we don’t have that threat anymore, we feel there is no harm in lifting the ban on saliva in the IPL. We understand that it makes a bigger impact in red-ball cricket but even if it can help bowlers a bit in the white ball game, it should be allowed in the IPL, which is a trend-setting tournament. Let’s see what the captains decide tomorrow,” a BCCI official told PTI.
If reversed, the ICC might also consider lifting the ban on saliva in the near future.
Besides the new proposal, the IPL is also looking at expanding the usage of Decision Review System (DRS) in the upcoming edition beginning on Saturday.
The DRS is likely to use Hawk-Eye and ball-tracking to determine the accuracy of height wides and wides outside off-stump. The on-field umpires’ decisions with height wides had previously made the difference between win and loss for a bowling side.
The yorker outside off-stump has been a go-to technique for bowlers in the IPL over the past few seasons. However, the deliveries landing close to the wide line have become a burning topic. This season, teams will be able to review those decisions.
The IPL 2025 is set to kick-off on Saturday at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata with the match between defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
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