The umpires are using an instrument to check bats in the ongoing IPL season.
On the same day, Delhi Capitals (DC) faced Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where the match officials thoroughly examined the willow of Hardik Pandya. After brief interruptions, play resumed as all bats cleared the test.
These inspections are part of the BCCI protocol which aims to prevent players from gaining unfair advantages in an era of power-hitting.
The BCCI has authorized match officials to check any bat they consider suspicious during live games, marking a notable 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," a former BCCI umpire told 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," he added.
As per specified dimensions, the width of bat face should not exceed 4.25 inches (10.79 cm). The thickness of the middle of the bat (bulged part) can't exceed 2.64 inches (6.7 cm).
The maximum width of the edge can't surpass 1.56 inch (4 cm). The height of the bat can't be more than 38 inches (96.4 cm) from top of handle to the base.
The BCCI refused to clarify when asked if there was any breach of willow dimension, prompting the random checks.
Notably, a little extra thickness or a bit more wood on the edge makes hell lot of a difference these days where even mis-hits sail over the boundary ropes in most of the grounds.
The IPL 2025 season has already witnessed 525 sixes after 29 games, with Caribbean swashbuckler Nicholas Pooran heading the list with 31 maximums to his name.
(With PTI Inputs)