Rajasthan Royals batsman Robin Uthappa appears to have violated COVID-19 guidelines for the IPL on Wednesday as he seemed to be applying saliva on the ball in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
In videos that surfaced on social media during the match, Uthappa can be seen picking the ball up during the third over of the match and moving his fingers towards his mouth before rubbing them briefly on the ball.
The ban on the usage of saliva on the cricket ball is part of the detailed guidelines that the International Cricket Council (ICC) put out for the resumption of cricket amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have, however, been instances when players have fallen foul of the rule. In the IPL, Delhi Capitals spinner Amit Mishra was spotted applying saliva on the ball during a match against SunRisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.
In August, Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir was pictured applying saliva on the ball during their three-match T20I series.
Players have spoken about the need for them to break out of the habit of using saliva in the days since the ICC announcement. "Cricket balls and all that, yes, we have to be little careful of and get used to not using the saliva as well. So old habits, at times, just creeps in as bowlers. So, we will have to be mindful of that," said Zaheer Khan, Mumbai Indians Director of Cricket Operations .
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)