Revealed: Why bats are being checked mid-game by umpires in IPL 2025?

The aggressive stars and power hitting have become a trend in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the past season. To ensure there is nothing illegal in this entertaining carnage from the batters, the BCCI is making sure everything is within the law, and that was one example seen in the last double-header.

During the 28th and 29th matches of the ongoing IPL 2025 on Sunday, April 13, something unusual happened on the field that caught everyone’s attention and sparked concerns about whether the player did something fishy.

Revealed by umpires stopped IPL 2025 matches for sudden bat checks

In the afternoon game between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the umpires halted the play for a moment to carefully check the bats of Shimron Hetmyer and Phil Salt during the IPL 2025 matches on Sunday.

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Later in the evening clash between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, the match officials also inspected the bat of MI captain Hardik Pandya. These quick inspections didn’t take long, as the matches resumed without changing any gear after a brief pause in Jaipur and Delhi.

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Actually, as reported by PTI, these checks are now a part of BCCI’s new rules, introduced to make sure no player gets an unfair advantage with their bat — especially in a time when power-hitting is becoming a big part of the game.

For the first time, umpires have been officially allowed to inspect bats during live matches. In the last season, this process would only happen inside the dressing room.

Former BCCI umpire exposes bat check concerns behind new IPL protocol

A former BCCI umpire, who stood in over 100 IPL matches, revealed that there were concerns that players might show one bat for checking and use another on the field, and that’s why on-the-spot checks are implemented.

The former BCCI umpire was quoted as saying by PTI, “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 hand over their willows, and the check is done.”

He further added, “Now the question is, did any player provide one bat for check and use 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 have to be within specified limits prescribed by the ICC.”

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What does the ICC rule says regarding bat size?

According to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules, cricket bats have fixed size limits. The front of the bat can be no wider than 4.25 inches, and the thickest part in the middle should not be more than 2.64 inches. The edges can be up to 1.56 inches wide, and the total length of the bat, from top to bottom, can’t go over 38 inches.

Well, the BCCI hasn’t yet made any official statement about whether any bat size issues led to the sudden checks of the players in the ongoing IPL 2025. The ongoing IPL 2025 has already seen a huge 525 sixes in just 29 games, with West Indies star Nicholas Pooran smashing 31 of them.