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BCCI rejects ICC's offer to host Women's T20 World Cup

After India's withdrawal, Sri Lanka and UAE are the only other options left. Recently Sri Lanka hosted the Women's Asia Cup. This tournament was considered part of the preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup.

Aug 15, 2024, 10:51 AM3 min read

BCCI rejects ICC's offer to host Women's T20 World Cup

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) rejected the proposal given by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to host the Women's T20 World Cup. The ICC is said to take a final call on August 20. The Women's T20 World Cup is to be played in Bangladesh from 3rd to 20th October.

"They [ICC] have asked us if we would conduct the World Cup. I have categorically said no. We're in the monsoon, and on top of that, we will host the Women's ODI World Cup next year. I don't want to give any kind of signals that I want to hold consecutive World Cups.” ," Jay Shah said.

Also Read: Buchi Babu Tournament 2024: Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar and Sarfaraz Khan are among the stars to feature

ICC got into tricky situation

Bangladesh is currently facing violence and security challenges due to the anti-government student movement. This is the reason why ICC is considering hosting someone else instead of Bangladesh. Hundreds of people have died in the ongoing violence in Bangladesh and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also had to leave the country.

In such a situation, India was offered hosting. Now after India's withdrawal, Sri Lanka and UAE are the only other options left. Recently Sri Lanka hosted the Women's Asia Cup. This tournament was considered part of the preparation for the Women's T20 World Cup.

'Our priority is the safety'

ICC is concerned about the ongoing violence in Bangladesh. An ICC official had said, "The ICC is closely monitoring developments in coordination with the Bangladesh Cricket Board [BCB], their security agencies and our own independent security consultants. Our priority is the safety and well-being of all participants."

Bangladesh is trying to save the tournament

The new interim government in Bangladesh is finally trying to save the tournament. One of the biggest hurdles for the BCB is the travel advisory issued by the government of many participating teams, including England, Australia, and India.

Apart from security, there is also an issue that Bangladesh Cricket Board President and former Sports Minister Nazmul Hassan has been missing since August 5, after the fall of the government. Many board directors, who have political connections, are also not in touch.

Also Read: Duleep Trophy Squads: No Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma but Ravindra Jadeja and Ishan Kishan makes a comeback

'Bangladesh series is very important to us'

Bangladesh Team is now in Pakistan for two Tests before flying to India for two Tests and three T20Is, starting September 19 in Chennai. Commenting on Team India's preparation for the first series of the home season, Shah said this series remains crucial for the Indian Team.

"We've not spoken to them (the Bangladesh authorities). A new government has taken charge there. They might reach out to us or else I will reach out to them. The Bangladesh series is very important to us." Shah said.

Next Article

India's performance in every ICC tournament

Indian Men's Cricket team have won a total of 7 ICC trophies so far in their history. Here is a detailed article on India's performance in every ICC tournament.

Mar 10, 2025, 2:35 PM4 min read

India's performance in every ICC tournament

India's performance in the ICC events has been mixed in recent years. The title win over South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 ended India’s 11-year-long ICC title drought after it last won a global tournament back in 2013 - the ICC Champions Trophy.

Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

So far, India have collected 7 ICC trophies including two 50 over World Cups, three Champions Trophy, and two T20 World Cups in 2007 and 2024.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won 3 ICC events as a captain and Rohit Sharma has 2 in those 7 ICC trophies that India won so far. In this article, SportzPoint will give you  details on India's performances in every ICC tournaments so far.

ICC Cricket World Cup (1975 - 2023):

India's performance in every ICC tournament | sportzpoint.com
India lost the 2023 ICC World Cup final against Australia. 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) started the ODI World Cup back in the year 1975. From then, ICC organized the tournament a total of 13 times. Australia are the most successful in the format as they won 6 titles so far.

India won their first World Cup under Kapil Dev back in 1983 and next under Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011. With 2 titles India are the second most successful team alongside West Indies in the 50 overs format after Australia. 

Read Also: Most ICC Trophy wins by any team

Indian Men's Cricket team also lost two ODI World Cup finals, one under Sourav Ganguly in 2003 and another one under Rohit Sharma in 2023. Here is how India performed in the each of the 13 editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup.

India's performance in every ICC Cricket World Cup

Year Result
1975 6th
1979 7th
1983 Champions
1987 Semi-Final
1992 7th
1996 Semi-Final
1999 6th
2003 Runner's up
2007 9th
2011 Champions
2015 Semi-Final
2019 Semi-Final
2023 Final

ICC Champions Trophy (1998 - 2025):

India's performance in every ICC tournament

ICC started a new tournament of the 50 overs format in 1998 called the Champions Trophy. It was also referred as a "Mini World Cup". Till 2006 the Champion's Trophy was held every two years. After that, it continues with a gap of 4 years from 2009.

In 2003, India reached the Finals of the tournament along with Sri Lanka. As the match got washed out and India were declared joint winners.

However, India finally won the ICC Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni in 2013 after defeating England by 5 runs.

In 2025, India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai to lift the trophy for the third time. It was the second consecutive ICC trophy for India under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

Let's take a look at India's performance in the tournament so far.

Read Also | ICC Men's Champions trophy winners list

India's performance in Champions Trophy so far

Year Result
1998 Semi-Final
2000 Runner's up
2002 Co-Champions with Sri Lanka
2004 Group Stage
2006 Group Stage
2009 Semi-Final
2013 Champions
2017 Runner's up
2025 Champions

ICC T20 World Cup (2007 - 2024):

India's performance in every ICC tournament | sportzpoint.com
India won their latest ICC T20 World Cup in 2024. Image | ICC

International Cricket Council introduced a new format marquee tournament in 2007 as T20 Cricket started to grow globally. ICC started the T20 World Cup in the year 2007. India defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the final that year and won the inaugural T20 World Cup under MS Dhoni.

Read Also: India's performance in every T20 World Cup 

Since then, the Indian cricket team became runners-up in 2014 and then finally lifted the trophy again in 2024 under Rohit Sharma.

India's performance in every T20 World Cup

Year Results
2007 Champions
2009 Super 8
2010 Super 8
2012 Super 8
2014 Runner's up
2016 Semi-Final
2021 Super 12
2022 Semi-Final
2024 Champions

ICC World Test Championship (2019-2025):

India's performance in ICC tournaments - sportzpoint.com

ICC World Test Championship started in the year 2019 as New Zealand won the inaugural WTC after defeating India in the ICC World Test Championship 2021 Final.

India once again qualified for the Test Championship final in 2023 and this time, it was Australia who challenged them. India bottled their chance to win an ICC trophy after waiting for a decade and lost the match by a huge margin of 209 runs. 

In 2023-25 World Test Championship, India failed to qualify for the final.

India's performance in every WTC

WTC Championship Results
2019-21 Runners-up
2021-23 Runners-up
2023-25 Did not qualify for final
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Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

Indian men's cricket team with seven ICC trophies are the second most successful team in men's cricket history. Australia with ten trophies lead the list of teams with the most ICC trophies.

Mar 10, 2025, 9:42 AM7 min read

Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts different cricket events and tournaments throughout the year. ICC tournaments are the biggest platforms in the game of cricket, where the top teams contest against each other for championship podiums.

Contributing to the team on a big stage like this will always be remembered for a long time. The ODI World Cup is conducted once every four years, whereas the Men's T20 World Cup is played every two years. The ICC Champions Trophy is where only the top 8 teams compete in each finals tournament.

Last but not least, the World Test Championship is played over two years. This article thoroughly talks about the men's cricketing teams that have won ICC trophies at some point in time. Let's take a look at the teams with the most ICC Trophies.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma in ICC knockout games

Australia | 10

Most ICC Trophy wins by any team - Australia - sportzpoint.com

Australia's sheer dominance over other cricketing teams is nothing new. For decades, Australia has been executing out-of-ordinary performances and winning trophies for the country. Out of all the cricketing countries, Australia has the most ICC trophies.

Till now the Aussies won 10 ICC trophies. Australia is the only team to win 6 ICC World Cups. The most successful team in the Cricket World Cup clinched the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. Interestingly Australia made a record of being the only team to win the trophy in all the countries that hosted the World Cup.

Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009 against West Indies and New Zealand respectively. Lastly, Australia lifted their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup trophy after defeating New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They claimed the ICC World Test Championship after defeating India at the Oval by a huge margin of 209 runs.

Read also: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

India | 7

Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

India sits in the second position on this prestigious list of most ICC Trophies by any team. India won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Later again 28 years, the men in blue won the World Cup for the second time under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011.

The Indian men's cricket team also reached the semifinals four times in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019. Meantime, they lost in two finals in 2003 and 2023.

The men in blue won the Champions Trophy thrice. First, in 2002, both the finalists India and Sri Lanka were declared the co-champions of the 2002 Champions Trophy. In the 2013 edition, India defeated England by 5 runs and won the Champions Trophy for the second time in Birmingham. Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final.

Lastly, India won the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 after defeating Pakistan in Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated  South Africa by 7 runs to lift the trophy for the second time.

Read also: India's performance in every ICC tournament

West Indies | 5

West Indies 2016 T20 World Cup winners - sportzpoint.com

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

Next on this list is West Indies with a total of 5 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC World Cup final was won by West Indies in 1975. West Indies once again continued their reign in the next edition of the World Cup as well, in 1979. The Caribbean team also won the Champions Trophy in 2004. Lastly, West Indies became the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup twice; once against Sri Lanka in 2012 and the other time against England in 2016.

England | 3

England team after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022.  | Sportz Point
England team after winning the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022. Image- ICC

Till 2010, the England team has not had any ICC Tournament. But, it was in 2010, when they won their first ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rival Australia. Craig Kieswetter guided them home in the final for their first-ever ICC Trophy. Post that, they have been a phenomenal white-ball team and won two ICC World Cups since then.

In 2019, they won their first ICC Men's ODI World Cup as Ben Stokes made all the difference in the final against England in a match where boundary count helped England to win the World Cup.

England's latest ICC Trophy triumph came under Jos Buttler as they became the first-ever team in Cricket history to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup at the same time. Jos Buttler and company won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 as Sam Curran won the player of the tournament after taking 13 wickets with the ball. Curran also was the player of the match in the final as well.

Pakistan | 3

Most ICC Trophy wins by any team - sportzpoint.com

Pakistan sits in the fourth position on the list of most ICC Trophy wins by any team with 3 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC trophy won by Pakistan was during the 1992 cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated England in the final and won by 22 runs.

The next ICC trophy won by Pakistan was in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they beat Sri Lanka in the final and won the title by 8 wickets. The most recent and last ICC win of Pakistan is the 2017 Champions Trophy where they defeated India by 180 runs.

Read also: "No one is more disappointed than me": Hasan Ali after T20 World Cup 2021 exit

Sri Lanka | 3

SportzPoint
Image Credit- ESPNcricinfo.com

Read also: ICC Hall of fame: Shaun Pollock, Mahela Jayawardene and Janette Britti get inducted

With 3 ICC trophies, Sri Lanka sits in 5th position on this list. Sri Lanka won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1996 where they played against Australia in the final hosted in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They went ahead to win their next ICC trophy in the 2002 Champions Trophy. The winner of the tournament is actually both India and Sri Lanka as both the finalist teams were declared as co-champions.

The last time Sri Lanka won an ICC Trophy was when they defeated India in the 2014 T20 World Cup hosted in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka.

New Zealand | 2

Sportz Point
Image Credit- ABP LIVE - ABP News

The New Zealand cricket team has won a total of 2 ICC trophies since they started competing in tournaments conducted by ICC. The Kiwis won their first-ever ICC Trophy in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Nairobi hosted the final of New Zealand vs India where New Zealand won the match by 4 wickets.

The next ICC Trophy won by the Kiwis was the ICC World Test Championship. Once again, New Zealand played against India in the final of an ICC event and clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final.

Read also: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments

South Africa | 1

South Africa till now have won only one ICC trophy - sportzpoint.com

With a team of talented and world-renowned cricketers, South Africa won only one ICC trophy throughout its entire history. In the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy hosted in Bangladesh, South Africa beat West Indies in the final and won the title. Jacques Kallis was exceptional and contributed the most to the team reaching and winning the final and was awarded the player of the tournament. He hit a century and picked up a five-wicket haul as well.

Note: The stats include shared trophies. The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got edited by Abishek Goswami.

Next Article

Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

India won their first 50-over ICC title in 12 years as they won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The Men in Blue won their third ICC Champions Trophy title, and went past Australia’s tally of two. Here are the past winners of the last 10 ICC tournaments.

Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

Indian men's cricket team finally won their first 50-over ICC title in 12 years as they defeated New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final by four wickets in Dubai. Here are the past winners of the last 10 ICC tournaments.

Read also: Every inaugural ICC tournament winners

1. T20 World Cup- West Indies (2016)

Remember the game: the last six balls of the 2016 T20 World Cup relived

Eden Gardens, Kolkata hosted the 2016 T20 World Cup on 3rd April between England and West Indies. West Indies defeated their opponent by 4 wickets and won the final with 2 balls remaining. Carols Braithwaite with four sixes in four balls to Ben Stokes became an overnight hero for the West Indies team. Marlon Samuels scored 85* off 66 balls and became the Man of the Match.

Read also: Virat Kohli records as captain in white ball Cricket

2. Champions Trophy- Pakistan (2017)

Most ICC Trophy wins by any team - sportzpoint.com

The Oval, London hosted one of the biggest cricket rivalries on 18 June 2017. The match was the 2017 Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan. Pakistan sent the Indian squad back to the pavilion in less than 31 overs and won the final by 180 runs. Fakhar Zaman won the man of the match award.

Read also: 5 Youngest Captains to lift the ICC Cricket World Cup

3. ICC World Cup- England (2019)

ICC World Cup 2019 - England - sportzpoint.com

The night of 14th July 2019 has to be one of the most interesting and different in cricket history. Both England and New Zealand scored the same during their innings and also in the super-over. The result of the match was decided in an interesting method; the team with the superior number of boundaries was the winner. Hence, England won the tournament.

Read also: WTC Final: ICC Event winners since 2000

4. World Test Championship- New Zealand (2021)

Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments - WTC 2021 - New Zealand - sportzpoint.com

Winning the World Test Championship has to be New Zealand's biggest victory in cricket history. Southampton hosted the final from 18 June to 23rd June 2021. Kane Williamson led the team to victory and the final test match by 8 wickets. With bowling figures of 5/31, 21 & 2/30, Kyle Jamieson was the Man of the match in the final.

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

5. T20 World Cup- Australia (2021)

Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments - sportzpoint.com

Australia once again proved its dominance and worth on the night of the 2021 T20 World Cup final. The entire Australian team contributed their best and clinched the trophy last night to beat New Zealand by 8 wickets. David Warner chose the best platform to prove himself after a humiliating IPL season. Mitchell Marsh scored an unbelievable knock of 77* in 50 balls and won the Man of the Match award.

6. T20 World Cup - England (2022)

England won the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 - sportzpoint.com

England won their third ICC trophy as they clinched the T20 World Cup 2022 title after beating Pakistan in the final by five wickets. Sam Curran was adjudged the player of the tournament for his 13 wickets in the tournament. Curran was also the player of the final as his 3/22 helped England restrict Pakistan to 137 in the first inning. This was England's second T20 World Cup title.

7. World Test Championship - Australia (2023)

World Test Championship 2023 - sportzpoint.com

India again failed to win any ICC trophy since 2013 as Pat Cummins-led Australia defeated India by 209 runs. Australia scored a massive 469 in the first inning as Steve Smith and Travis Head scored tons for the Aussies. The first-inning score proved to be too much for India as they scored only 296 in the reply and Australia put more pressure with 270 in the second inning.

Despite starts for Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, India failed to get close to the score and eventually suffered the defeat. 

With this win, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, Pat Cummins, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc became the only players to win all ICC Trophies. 

8. ICC World Cup - Australia (2023)

Two-time ODI World Cup winners - Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith, Josh Hazlewood, David Warner, and Mitchell Marsh - strike a pose with the trophy, India vs Australia, Men's ODI World Cup final, Ahmedabad, November 19, 2023 - sportzpoint.com
Two-time ODI World Cup winners.

Pat Cummins and Australia's dream run continued as they won the ICC Men's World Cup for a record sixth time in 2023 defeating India, again. In one of the most visited and watched World Cup finals in Ahmedabad, Australia defeated India by six wickets.

Despite a great start with the bat, India lost captain Rohit Sharma and post that kept on losing wickets. They could only score 240 in the first inning and though Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami tried their level best, Travis Head's excellent ton (137) took Australia over the line. Head was player of the match in back-to-back ICC Finals. 

Read Also: India's Finals at ICC Men's Tournaments Since 2013 

9. T20 World Cup - India (2024)

India's performances in every T20 World Cup - India won the T20 World Cup 2024 - sportzpoint.com

India finally broke their jinx of ICC finals after beating South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Barbados. They clinched their second T20 World Cup title as Rohit Sharma's men defeated the Proteas team by seven runs in the final.

Read Also: Every Player of the Tournament winners in T20 World Cup History

Virat Kohli (76) and Axar Patel (47) played some solid knocks to take India to the highest total (176) in a T20 World Cup final. Though South Africa were cruising for an easy win, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Arhsdeep Singh managed to pull things back for India with the ball. Virat Kohli was adjudged the player of the final and Jasprit Bumrah was named the Player of the tournament for his 15 wickets in the tournament. 

10. Champions Trophy - India (2025)

Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

India made it back-to-back global cricket tournaments with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final in Dubai.

Chasing 252 against the Blackcaps, India reached home in 49 overs at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The spinners put up a splendid show, helping India restrict the Blakcaps for 251 for 7 after the side latter team won the toss and opted to bat first. 

Kuldeep Yadav (2 for 40) and Varun Chakravarthy (2 for 45) picked two wickets apiece while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami scalped one wicket each. Daryl Mitchell (63) and Michael Bracewell (53) played crucial knocks for the Blackcaps. 

In the chase, India got off to a flying start, thanks to Rohit Sharma's dominating 76. Shreyas Iyer (48) and KL Rahul (34 not out) also played crucial knocks as India edged past New Zealand to win the Champions Trophy for the third time.

This was India’s second consecutive ICC title win - it had won the T20 World Cup crown in June last year. India has now won two ODI World Cups, two T20 World Cups and three Champions Trophy titles.

Note: The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got updated by Koushik Biswas.

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Every results from India vs New Zealand match in ICC events

India and New Zealand have clashed twice in ICC Champions Trophy tournaments. Each team has won once, making their head-to-head record in the tournament evenly balanced. Let’s take a look at every results from India vs New Zealand match in ICC events.

Mar 7, 2025, 3:48 PM3 min read

Every results from India vs New Zealand match in ICC events

New Zealand has made it to the finals after defeating South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Now they will clash with India at the Dubai ground. 

India and New Zealand have so far clashed in the ICC Knockout Trophy, ODI World Cup 2019 semi-final and World Test Championship 2019-2021 final. Where the Indian team has had to face defeat every time.

However, the situation for India seems different in the Champions Trophy. Both teams are strong, so an interesting match can be witnessed.

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 Final: India vs New Zealand match preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, match prediction, streaming details

So, before these two teams once again share the field on Sunday, let’s take a look at every results from India vs New Zealand match in ICC events.

Results from India vs New Zealand match in ICC events

ODI World Cups

India and New Zealand have shared victories in their World Cup history, making this rivalry an exciting one.

In the early years, New Zealand had the upper hand, winning multiple encounters, but India bounced back in the late 1980s and early 2000s.

The 2019 semi-final remains one of the most memorable matches, where New Zealand eliminated India with an 18-run victory. Rain played a role in the 2019 group-stage match, which was abandoned.

India have performed well in some editions, but New Zealand have been more successful in knockout games.

Date Venue Winner Margin
14-Jun-75 Manchester New Zealand 4 wickets
13-Jun-79 Leeds New Zealand 8 wickets
14-Oct-87 Bengaluru India 16 runs
31-Oct-87 Nagpur India 9 wickets
12-Mar-92 Dunedin New Zealand 4 wickets
12-Jun-99 Nottingham New Zealand 5 wickets
14-Mar-03 Centurion India 7 wickets
13-Jun-19 Nottingham No Result Match abandoned
09-Jul-19 Manchester New Zealand 18 runs

Champions Trophy

India and New Zealand have clashed twice in ICC Champions Trophy tournaments. Each team has won once, making their head-to-head record in the tournament evenly balanced.

India and New Zealand faced off in a match on March 2, 2025, where India posted a total of 249/9 in 50 overs. In response, New Zealand was bowled out for 205 in 45.3 overs, giving India a 44-run victory.

Their first encounter was in the 2000 edition, where New Zealand won by four wickets, securing their only Champions Trophy victory against India.

Date Venue Winner Margin
15-Oct-00 Nairobi New Zealand 4 wickets
04-Mar-25 Dubai India 44 runs

Also Read: Most ICC Finals as captain

T20 World Cups

New Zealand have been dominant over India in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounters, winning all three matches convincingly.

The first meeting in 2007 was closely contested, with New Zealand winning by just 10 runs. However, in later encounters, New Zealand won more comfortably, including a massive 47-run victory in 2016 and an eight-wicket win in 2021.

India have struggled against New Zealand’s bowling attack in T20 World Cup games, often failing to chase or post competitive totals.

Date Venue Winner Margin
16-Sep-07 Johannesburg New Zealand 10 runs
15-Mar-16 Nagpur New Zealand 47 runs
31-Oct-21 Dubai New Zealand 8 wickets
Next Article

"Use of saliva on ball," Mohammed Shami wants the ban to be lifted on applying saliva on the ball

The ban on the use of saliva on ball was first imposed in May 2020 as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.

Mar 7, 2025, 12:36 PM3 min read

"Use of saliva on ball," Mohammed Shami wants the ban to be lifted on applying saliva on the ball

Indian bowler Mohammed Shami recently demanded the ICC to lift the ban on applying saliva on ball. Now former New Zealand bowler Tim Southee and former South African all-rounder Vernon Philander have supported Shami's demand.

Shami, while talking to reporters after Team India's 4-wicket win over Australia in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy, had requested the ICC to lift the ban on the use of saliva on ball.

Also Read: Champions Trophy 2025 Final: India vs New Zealand match preview | Head-to-head stats, Possible XI, match prediction, streaming details

Use of saliva on ball should be allowed to bring back reverse swing

"We are trying (to get reverse swing), but the usage of saliva on the ball is not allowed," Shami told reporters.

"We keep appealing that we should be allowed to use saliva so that we can bring reverse swing back into the game and it becomes interesting."

Southee and Philander backed Shami

Supporting Shami's statement, Southee said on ESPNcricinfo's Match Day, "That was a rule brought around Covid with the virus going around the world, but I think as a bowler, you want to have a slight advantage," 

"We see the game going the way it's going and seeing sides score 362 and more often than not over 300 in this format. I think there needs to be something in the bowlers' favour, and whether that's a little bit of saliva, then yeah, I don't see why they couldn't afford to get that back in."

At the same time, Philander said that in the second semi-final played against New Zealand, the South African bowlers could have benefited from applying saliva and using reverse swing, particularly in the later half of the innings. New Zealand amassed 362 for 6 in their 50 overs.

"If we look at the state of that ball, I mean towards the back end, it was really scuffed up, and I think had you used the saliva [to polish one side of the ball], the element of the reverse swing might have come into play," Philander said.

"So it certainly does play a part. You can get it to shine up and you use the elements to swing it a little longer."

Also Read: Most ICC Finals as captain

Use of saliva banned during COVID 19

The ban on the use of saliva on ball was first imposed in May 2020 as a temporary measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, in September 2022, the ICC made the ban permanent.

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