Why does the referee check Shimron Hetmyer, Phil Salt’s bat during the RR conflict with RCB IPL 2025?

In the IPL 2025 match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challenger Bengaluru, the field referee was seen scrutinizing several players’ bats. Dhruv Jurel was fired in the first inning, and after Shimron Hetmyer hit the ball, the referee used a special tool to measure the thickness of the bat’s edge. A similar situation happened when RCB’s open batsmen Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal tightened the crease in the second inning. This is the first time this season has happened.

While this seems to be a standard procedure for the referee to ensure everything is in compliance with the code, it is important to remember that the IPL Council has set specific rules on bat size in Section 5.7.

This is what the rules say:

5.7.1 When using the lower part of the handle, the bat should not exceed 38 inches in length.

5.7.2 The blade of a bat should not exceed the following sizes:

Width: 4.25 inches/10.8 cm

Depth: 2.64 inches/6.7 cm

Edge: 1.56 inches/4.0 cm.

5.7.3 The bat’s handle should not exceed 52% of its overall height.

5.7.4 The thickness of the material used as the blade cover should not exceed 0.04 inches.

5.7.4 The set size of bat toe material should be 0.12 inches.

There are no specific penalties for bats who fail to comply with these rules; however, field referees have the right to prevent bats from using bats that do not meet the required size standards.

In recent years, the issue of bat size has attracted great attention. Bowlers often express concerns about the thickness of modern bats, which they believe allows bats to easily hit the border even on the edge.

To address this, BCCI designated a fourth referee who was responsible for verifying that the player’s bat size complies with regulations before each game begins.

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