During an IPL 2025 match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur, bats used by Sunil Narine and Anrich Nortje failed the gauge test, which means that the bat’s dimensions or thickness didn’t meet regulatory standards.
As per the IPL rules, a bat’s face width must not exceed 10.79 cm, its blade thickness up to 6.7 cm, and edge width no more than 4 cm, while the bat’s length should be no more than 96.4 cm.
Narine’s bat fails test
The issue first came with Sunil Narine. Ahead of KKR’s attempt to chase PBKS’s low total of 111, reserve umpire Saiyed Khalid inspected the bats of some KKR players outside the field. The thickest part of Narine’s bat did not fit through the gauge used to measure compliance. Narine discussed this with Khalid. They also checked his teammate Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s bat, which passed without issues. Despite this hiccup, Narine scored 5 runs off 4 balls, while Raghuvanshi was the top scorer for KKR, making 37 off 28 balls.
Nortje’s bat faces the same issue
Later, when KKR’s innings were collapsing, Anrich Nortje walked out as the last batter. On-field umpires Mohit Krishnadas and Saidharshan Kumar found Nortje’s bat non-compliant with the size regulations. This caused a brief delay as spare bats were brought onto the field by benched player Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The replacement bat passed the test, though Nortje didn’t get to use it as Andre Russell was bowled before he could face a ball.
BCCI’s take on this
BCCI is pretty much clear that they don’t entertain any kind of unnecessary advantage to any team with bat. “Nobody should feel that somebody’s got an undue advantage. The BCCI and IPL have always taken all initiatives in this direction so that the fairness of the game is maintained. We have used technology to the maximum to make sure that all decisions can be reviewed so that the games don’t get unfairly affected. The idea behind this initiative is to ensure that the spirit of the game is maintained,” Dhumal told The Indian Express.
What does the rule say?
A special triangle-shaped tool checks if a bat is the right size. The rules say:
- Bat thickness: 2.68 inches
- Bat width: 4.33 inches
- Edge thickness: 1.61 inches
- Curve (bulge) on the back: not more than 0.20 inches
Enforcement of bat regulations
This match showed a shift towards stricter enforcement of bat regulations during games rather than in dressing rooms. This was not isolated, as similar checks occurred in other recent matches, like the Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians games.
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