With the random on-field check of bats making three appearances in a day, it is understood that this checking is going to become a routine affair for the remainder of the tournament, with an aim to maintain fairness in the matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
To be fair, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had put in a protocol for umpires to be issued a bat gauge in 2017, which they can use to check a bat\u2019s legality in international cricket matches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
As per its Appendix B \u2013 Equipment in T20I Playing Conditions document, a legal cricket bat should pass the gauge, whose dimensions are: 2.68 inches in total depth, 4.33 inches of width, and 1.61 inches of edges. The curve of a legal bat, as per the gauge, needs to be within 0.20 inches.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Till IPL 2024, the checks of bats would be carried out by the fourth umpire with the help of a franchise\u2019s team manager in the dressing room before a game would start, as batters carry either five or six bats in their kit bag.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
But with surprise bat checks being conducted during a live match, one wonders whether there was an instance of over-sized bats almost being used in the tournament and didn\u2019t come in the notice of the match officials.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
IANS also understands that if a fourth umpire can\u2019t check bats before match, as dugouts of teams are situated at a fair distance from each other, then the responsibility of checking their sizes will be carried out by on-field umpires before a particular batter takes guard.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"It\u2019s like when we check the ball frequently for its shape in matches, including at the mid-way point, so why not have the bats go through it? All of this is just part of the protocol to maintain fairness of the games in IPL and there\u2019s nothing special about its timing,\u201d said an umpire who\u2019s officiated in the tournament previously, to IANS, on the condition of anonymity.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With the scrutiny of IPL and BCCI on dimensions of bats happening in live matches, a franchise official told IANS that it is fair enough to stop a batter from coming out with an oversized bat in a game. \u201cThat is the standard operating procedure (SOP) from the ICC which is being duly followed by the umpires in IPL and it\u2019s not something special really.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt\u2019s by the laws of cricket and following that will always maintain the fairness, as simple as that. Suppose if a bat doesn\u2019t fit in the gauge, then it can\u2019t be used and can be duly changed in a game,\u201d added the official.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
With the scrutiny of IPL and BCCI on dimensions of bats happening in live matches, a franchise official told IANS that it is fair enough to stop a batter from coming out with an oversized bat in a game. \u201cThat is the standard operating procedure (SOP) from the ICC which is being duly followed by the umpires in IPL and it\u2019s not something special really.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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