Why did the umpire check Hardik Pandya’s bat during DC vs MI? All-rounder’s willow measured with strange instrument
The umpire used an instrument to check Hardik Pandya's bat during MI's run-chase vs DC on Sunday.
The Indian Premier League has taken power-hitting to a different level since last especially. Last year, we saw Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma run riot for SRH, and then other teams followed suit. IPL 2025 has been the same, and teams have built on the power-hitting template from last season. So fans were left with questions when Hardik Pandya’s bat was checked by the umpire as he arrived at the crease during the DC vs MI run-chase on Sunday in New Delhi.
The MI skipper came in to bat at No. 5 after the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav, and then the umpire checked the width of his bat with a device, to see if it was within the guidelines.
Also Read: Karun Nair opens up on dumping his array of destruction on Jasprit Bumrah: ‘He’s the best, so I had to…’
The umpire was using a gauge to check Hardik’s bat’s width and it passed through without any hassle. Sunday saw two other instances of a similar incident as Phil Salt and Shimron Hetmyer’s bats were checked during the RR vs RCB clash.
Why was Hardik Pandya's bat checked?
The bat checks are part of the tournament protocol to avoid any disadvantage for players. Match officials have been authorised by the BCCI to check any bat, if necessary during live matches, unlike previous campaigns, when it was done in the dressing rooms.
Speaking to PTI, a former BCCI umpire said, “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.”
“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 the blade) and width of the edge has to be within the specified limits prescribed by the ICC,” the ex-umpire added.
