New Delhi: The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season has witnessed something never before. Over the last weekend, the match umpires checked the bat of several batters. The list includes Shimron Hetmyer of Rajasthan Royals, Hardik Pandya of Mumbai Indians, Phil Salt of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
However, none of them were impacted as the play would continue after the inspection and there was no change in the equipment required. It was a strange view for many spectators to take notice of – whether they were watching it from the stands or through their television screens.
According to News9’s Sports Editor Meha Bhardwaj Alter, checking the bat dimensions is a prevalent protocol, but till the last edition, the process was followed inside the confines of the dressing room. However, the BCCI, in trying to stay more vigilant in times of brutal power-hitting, has allowed the match officials to check any bat they seem necessary during live games.
How do the umpires check the bats?
The umpires have a house-shaped gauge, which they put the bat through it. And if the bat passes through it, it is acceptable. As players carry multiple bats and it prevents them from getting one bat checked in the dressing room and then playing with another bat, as explained by Meha Bhardwaj Alter.
While the weights can vary of bats, the height, width, and the middle of the blade, the thickness of that – all these have to be in specified limits prescribed by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
As per the specified dimensions, the width of the bat face should not exceed 4.25 inches. The thickness of the middle of the bat can’t exceed 2.64 inches. The maximum width of the edge cannot surpass 1.56 inches and the height of the bat cannot be more than 38 inches from top of the handle to the base.
The IPL 2025 season introduced a new on-field bat inspection protocol by the BCCI. In this piece, we will explain what has led to the change and why players like Salt, Pandya, and Hetmyer asked to show their bats to the umpires. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
