On Sunday umpires checked the bats of Rajasthan Royals’ Shimron Hetmyer and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’ Phil Salt during the match in Jaipur in IPL 2025. In the evening fixture between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, the umpires thoroughly looked through the willow of MI skipper Hardik Pandya as well. After brief interruptions, play continued without any change in equipment.
Why are umpires checking bats?
The checks are as part of BCCI protocol which aims to prevent players from gaining unfair advantages in an era of aggressive power-hitting.
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The BCCI has authorised match officials to inspect any bat they consider necessary during live games, marking a significant change from previous seasons where such checks were confined to dressing rooms.
“The umpires keep a house-shaped bat gauge. If the bat passes through that gauge, it is deemed acceptable. We have all performed bat checks before the start of the innings inside the dressing room. The players handover their willows and the check is done,” explained a former BCCI umpire who has officiated in over 100 IPL games, to news agency PTI.
“Now the question is, did any player provide one bat for check and used another on the field? If that has happened, then this protocol is welcome. The players always carry multiple bats. While the weight can vary, the height, width (bat face), depth (middle of blade) and width of the edge has to be within specified limits prescribed by the ICC,” the former umpire added.
What are the rules on bat sizes?
The ICC regulations stipulate specific bat dimensions. The bat face width must not exceed 4.25 inches (10.79 cm), while the middle of the bat thickness is limited to 2.64 inches (6.7 cm).
The edge width cannot be more than 1.56 inches (4 cm), and the bat’s total height from handle to base must not exceed 38 inches (96.4 cm).
The BCCI has not said anything officially about whether any bat dimension violations prompted these random checks.
The impact of bat dimensions on modern cricket is significant, as even mishit shots can travel considerable distances into stadium stands.
The current IPL season has already witnessed 525 sixes after 29 matches, with West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran contributing 31 of these maximums.
