IPL 2025: Umpires tighten bat checks after increase in defaulters

Umpire checking Riyan Parag's bat (Source: @StarSportsIndia/X)

Something that has caught the attention of cricket lovers in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is that on-field umpires are checking the sizes of the bats of many batters as they are making their way out to the middle. During a weekly review meeting of IPL umpires held last week, it was decided that a gauge test will be carried out on the bats of all the players before they start their innings.

The bats of the openers will be tested by the fourth umpire before they step onto the field, while the following batters will have it checked by the on-field umpires. This is a notable change from the former practice, which involved the fourth umpire testing the bats of players inside the dressing room ahead of a match.

This decision has been taken in the middle of the season due to the sudden increase in the number of defaulters. It is understood that some teams brought to the attention of the authorities that opponent batters were using bats bigger than permissible, especially at the meat of the blade.

On Tuesday, April 15, during the low-scoring thriller between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in Mullanpur, two days after the on-field gauge-test was put into practice, the bats of .

As per the existing law, the blade of the bat shall not exceed the following dimensions: width 4.25 inches, depth 2.64 inches and edges 1.56 inches. Furthermore, it should be able to pass through the bat gauge.

There other instructions are:

• Except for bats of size 6 and less, the overall handle shall not exceed 52 per cent of the overall length of the bat
• The material for covering the blade shall not exceed 0.1 cm in thickness
• The maximum permitted thickness of the protected material placed on the toe of the blade is 0.3 cm

Teams have been informed that the batters will have to get their bats checked before they walk out to the middle. None of the teams has opposed this change so far.

Also, umpires have been asked to be a bit more considerate while punishing players for their celebrations. This comes in the wake of the criticism that came after the penalisation of Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) leg-spinner Digvesh Rathi twice in the tournament.

The umpires have even been instructed not to check with the captains if they would want to withdraw their appeal for non-striker end run-outs and obstructing the field. Earlier, umpires were exhorted to ask captains if they would want to withdraw their appeal in such situations.

IPL 2025 has almost come to the halfway stage with the top four race heating up every week. Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Punjab Kings are holding the first four positions currently. However, mid-table teams are breathing down their neck, and the ones at the bottom like Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad have shown signs of resurgance.