The BCCI has lifted the ban on using saliva to shine the ball in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after most captains supported the move. This makes the IPL the first major cricket league to reverse the COVID-era restriction. The ICC banned the age-old practice of applying saliva on the ball in 2020 as a health precaution during the pandemic. In 2022, ICC made the restriction permanent, and the IPL also adopted the rule in its playing conditions. The decision was taken at the captains’ meeting in Mumbai ahead of the league starting on Saturday.Several bowlers, including India’s Mohammed Shami, Vernon Philander, and Tim Southee, publicly advocated for the return of saliva to maintain swing and reverse swing in the game.
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