New Delhi, Mar 20: The BCCI on Thursday lifted the ban on use of saliva on the ball in the upcoming Indian Premier League after majority of captains agreed to its proposal. The decision was taken at the captains' meeting in Mumbai. "The saliva ban has been lifted. Majority of captains were in favour of the move," a top BCCI official told PTI. IPL 2025: Five Uncapped Players To Watch Out for in Indian Premier League Season 18.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had banned the age-old practice of applying saliva to shine the ball as a precautionary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the world body made the ban permanent. IPL 2025: Five 'Unsold' Cricketers in the Mega Auction Who Can Be Called in As Replacement Players During Indian Premier League Season 18.

The IPL too included the ICC ban in its playing conditions in the aftermath of the pandemic but its guidelines are outside the purview of the sport's governing body. With the development on Thursday, the IPL becomes the first major cricketing event to re-introduce saliva's use after the COVID-19 pandemic.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)