NEW DELHI: In a dramatic moment during Kolkata Knight Riders‘ (KKR) Indian Premier League 2025 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur, Sunil Narine’s bat failed the official gauge test ā highlighting the BCCI’s recent clampdown on oversized bats during live IPL matches.
The incident occurred just before KKR began their unsuccessful chase of PBKS’ modest 112-run target.
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Reserve umpire Saiyed Khalid conducted random checks outside the playing area, where Narine and fellow KKR batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi stood together. While Raghuvanshi’s bat passed the standard test, the thickest part of Narine’s bat couldn’t slide through the house-shaped gauge, violating ICC’s prescribed bat size limits.
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Despite the bat drama, Narine had a mixed outing ā claiming 2 for 14 with the ball but managing just 5 runs with the bat. Raghuvanshi top-scored for KKR with 37 off 28, yet the team crumbled from 62 for 2 to 95 all out.
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A second bat-related interruption came in the 16th over when Anrich Nortje was stopped by on-field umpires Mohit Krishnadas and Saidharshan Kumar. Nortje’s bat also failed the gauge test, prompting substitute Rahmanullah Gurbaz to rush in with a replacement. However, the match ended before he could face a ball, as Andre Russell was dismissed immediately.
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These live checks mark a shift in BCCI protocol, with bat dimensions now scrutinised mid-match to prevent players from gaining illegal advantages through oversized blades. While previously done in dressing rooms, this season has seen on-field checks involving several players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Phil Salt, and Hardik Pandya.
The ICC allows a maximum bat face width of 10.79 cm, blade thickness of 6.7 cm, edge width of 4 cm, and overall length of 96.4 cm.
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