During the first innings of the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore, 40-year-old leg-spinner Amit Mishra was caught on camera using saliva on the ball off the first ball of the 12th over. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the ICC had already banned the use of saliva, including in the IPL. However, Mishra has gone against the saliva ban several times, as he was caught doing the same while representing Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021.
Is saliva allowed in IPL?? #iplinhindi #IPL2023 #IPL #rcb #geocinema pic.twitter.com/Uh7hiR7D2G
– Rohit Raj (@RohitRajSinhaa) April 10, 2023
#RCBvsLSG Haters calling Amit Mishra an almost finished bowler for putting down Virat Kohli. Actually friends, this is Amit Mishra, whom people call Mishra ji with respect even by his seniors. Well what can we expect from kids who started watching cricket from lockdown pic.twitter.com/tl8xvFs3Ef— Parvez Islam (@Crick_Nerd) April 10, 2023
Amit Mishra was seen applying saliva on the ball#Amit Mishra #ViratKholi #IPL2023 #RCBvLSG #LSGvsRCB pic.twitter.com/hYSv3XBTea— Harpinder Singh (@Harpinder Tohra) April 10, 2023
Mishra’s use of saliva did not go unnoticed as the cameras caught him using it on the ball before sending a short delivery to Virat Kohli, who guided the ball towards deep point for a single. Mishra then dismissed Kohli on the third ball of the over with a mistimed delivery which Kohli could only send to deep midwicket to be caught by Marcus Stoinis. Kohli got out after scoring 61 runs off 44 balls.
In IPL 2020, Kohli was also caught unknowingly applying saliva on the ball after stopping short at short cover. The 35-year-old immediately realized his mistake, smiled and accepted it by raising his hand.
Mishra was bought by Lucknow Supergiants in the IPL 2023 auction for ₹50 lakhs. With 155 IPL matches, Mishra has scalped 168 wickets, including four four-wicket hauls and five-wicket hauls. He is also fourth in the list of all-time wicket-takers in IPL history. Mishra’s experience could come in handy for KL Rahul & Co., and could be the main reason behind LSG picking him up.
The use of saliva on the ball has been banned by the ICC since the outbreak of COVID-19 as it is considered a potential carrier of the virus. ICC has directed umpires to caution players who use saliva on the ball during matches and if the same player is caught doing it again, the batting team should be fined five runs.