Nortje's bat fails on-field gauge test in KKR's loss to Punjab Kings
This was the first time in IPL 2025 that a batter's bat failed to meet the specifications
ESPNcricinfo staff
15-Apr-2025
Anrich Nortje had to change his bat after he walked out as the No. 11 during Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) chase against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mullanpur on Tuesday. The bat he went out with failed the gauge test carried out by the on-field umpires, according to TV commentators.
Separately, a video that showed Sunil Narine's bat seemingly failing the gauge test before the start of the chase has also been doing the rounds of social media.
The Nortje incident took place at the start of the 16th over of KKR's innings. The game was paused as substitute Rahmanullah Gurbaz went out carrying spare bats for Nortje. The replacement bat passed the test, but Nortje did not get to use it as Andre Russell was bowled immediately after, with PBKS pulling off the lowest successful defence in IPL history.
In the past, bat checks were carried out inside the dressing room but on Sunday, during the Rajasthan Royals (RR) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) game and the Delhi Capitals (DC) vs Mumbai Indians (MI) game, the checks were being carried out on the field of play. According to the IPL playing conditions, the width of the bat face should not exceed 10.8cm, the thickness of the blade shouldn't be more than 6.7cm, and the width of the edge of the bat cannot be more than 4.0cm. The length of the bat should not exceed 96.52cm.
This was Nortje's first match of IPL 2025 as he made a much-awaited return from the back injury that he had suffered during the SA20. With the ball, he returned figures of 1 for 23 from his three overs.
On Tuesday, RR batter Nitish Rana, whose bat was checked during their game against RCB, said he had no problem with the process.
"There is shortage of time in T20s, and if the umpires have the time to check the bat, I guess it is their right to do so - even my bat was checked," he said on the eve of RR's game against DC in Delhi. "In that game, bats of 60-70% batsmen were checked. It is fair enough, we don't have a say in that, it is not a controllable. The bats are made by the company that sponsors us. But if umpires want to check it for their satisfaction, we don't have a problem."