The Indian Premier League is taking a tough stance on bat sizes this season. New rules set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for IPL 2025 state that bats can’t be more than 10.79 cm wide, 6.7 cm thick, or 96.4 cm long. Teams are checking bats regularly, just like they’ve done before. A recent match between Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders brought this issue to the forefront.
Two KKR Players Caught with Oversized Bats
Before KKR’s innings started, reserve umpire Syed Khalid checked the bats of opening batsmen Sunil Narine and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. Narine’s bat was too big, so he had to swap it out. Luckily for Punjab Kings, Narine was out for just 5 runs. Another KKR player, Anrich Nortje, was also caught with a bat that was too big. He had to replace it too. The match was intense, with KKR struggling to reach 112 runs.
Despite having skilled batsmen, KKR couldn’t make it past 100 runs. They were all out for 95. Punjab Kings had set a target of 111, but their own batting lineup didn’t do much better, getting all out for 111 runs.
It’s worth noting that bat checks have been a regular part of IPL games. The BCCI is serious about enforcing these rules to keep the game fair. The recent incidents with Narine and Nortje highlight the importance of these checks.