Phil Salt, Shimron Hetmyer's bats examined by on-field umpire during RR vs RCB IPL clash; here's why

The Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clash in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) in Jaipur got stopped for few minutes as the on-field umpire inspected Phil Salt and Shimron Hetmyer's bat size on Sunday.

The incident first came into limelight when Shimron Hetmyer walked out to bat following the dismissal of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the 16th over. A similar incident happened with RCB opener Phil Salt during the run chase at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Why Shimron Hetmyer & Phil Salt's bats were checked?

Although both the players' bats passed the test, there was a certain reason why their willows got checked. According to the rules, a player's bat should comply with the league's regulations. Both Shimron Hetmyer and Phil Salt's bats passed the specifications under Law 5.7 of the IPL playing conditions, which govern bat dimensions.

Such violations do not specify any point penalties but if found not complying with the standards, the player will be instructed to change the bat and a use a different one.

What does the bat rule say?

According to the rules, the length of the bat, including the handle, should not be over 38 inches (96.52 cm). As far as the blade dimensions are concerned, the width should be 4.25 inches (10.8 cm), depth be 2.64 inches (6.7 cm) and edges be 1.56 inches (4.0 cm).

The bat should also pass through the bat gauge while the handle should not be more than 52 per cent of the total length of the bat. Even the stickers must not exceed 0.04 inches (0.1 cm) in thickness and the protective material at the toe end of the bat must not be thicker than 0.12 inches (0.3 cm).

Experts debate over bat measurement mid-match

Former RCB batting coach Sanjay Bangar opined these kind of checks occur on match day-minus one. “These things used to happen on a pre-match day before. The exercise is good but I feel that it can be done before a player enters the field of play,” said the former India cricketer.

Ajay Jadeja, who was also doing commentary along, said do we need to have restrictions on the thickness of the bat? “Not just the width but the thickness of the bat is also being checked. As far as the width is concerned it can be understood. But how thick a player will use his bat, it completely depends on his skillset,” said Ajay Jadeja.

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