Rajasthan Royals batsman Robin Uthappa was spotted applying saliva on the cricket ball after dropping a catch of Sunil Narine during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during the twelfth match of IPL 2020 in Dubai. The International Cricket Council (ICC), among its interim changes, has already notified a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Uthappa’s actions seem to be a violation of the ICC’s guidelines.
“Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning,” it had said in a statement released.
“A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommenced,” the ICC had mentioned. In the match India’s 2018 Under-19 World Cup-winning pace duo of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti led a clinical bowling display to help Kolkata Knight Riders register a comprehensive 37-run win over Rajasthan Royals. For KKR, this was their second successive victory and they jumped to second spot behind Delhi Capitals.
