Umpires Begin On-Field Bat Checks in IPL to Ensure Fair Play, Know Bat Measurements

For the first time in IPL history, umpires are checking bats on the field using a special device to ensure they meet the official size limits. This move by the BCCI aims to prevent batters from gaining an unfair advantage. Bats of players like Hardik Pandya, Hetmyer, and Phil Salt have already been verified and found legal.

Umpires Begin On-Field Bat Checks in IPL to Ensure Fair Play, Know Bat MeasurementsIn a new move to uphold fairness in the ongoing IPL season, umpires have started checking bats on the field to ensure they meet the official size regulations. While bat inspections have always been part of the game, they were previously done behind the scenes in the dressing room. This year, for the first time, the BCCI has allowed on-field bat checks during matches.

The umpires are using a specially designed, house-shaped measuring device to inspect the bats. The goal is to make sure no player is using a bat that offers an unfair advantage. So far, the bats of Hardik Pandya, Shimron Hetmyer, and Phil Salt have been checked and all were found to comply with the rules.

What the Rules Say: According to ICC regulations: The face of the bat should not be wider than 4.25 inches The spine or middle of the bat should not be thicker than 2.64 inches The edge should not exceed 1.

56 inches The total length of the bat (from the top of the handle to the bottom) must not exceed 38 inches Even a slight increase in bat thickness can provide a significant advantage, allowing mishit balls to travel further — often into the crowd. This IPL season has already seen a record-breaking number of sixes. As of Sunday, 525 sixes have been hit, with Nicholas Pooran alone smashing 31.

With such high-scoring matches, the new bat-checking policy ensures that batters are playing within the rules, maintaining the integrity of the game..