'As it is we are seeing such big sixes' - Mohit Sharma backs bat checks

The two matches in IPL 2025 on Sunday, saw the on-field umpires checking the dimensions of the bats of batters who came in to bat. It is a practice usually done in the dressing room, but in both the matches, it played out on the field before the batters took guard. Umpires Nitin Menon and Saidharshan Kumar measured bats of Shimron Hetmyer, Phil Salt, Riyan Parag and Nitish Rana among others in Jaipur, while Chris Gaffaney and Vinod Seshan did the same to Hardik Pandya's bat in Delhi.

All the bats went through the gauge through which they must pass, and were deemed acceptable. Rana said that the batters did not have an issue with it if the umpires want to "check it for their satisfaction."

"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 Delhi Capitals in Delhi. "In that game, bats of 60-70% batsmen was checked. It is fair enough, we don't have a say in that, it is not a controllable. The bats are made in the company that sponsors us, we don't have an issue with that. But if umpires want to check it for their satisfaction, we don't have a problem."

DC's fast bowler Mohit Sharma had a bit of laugh when asked about it and said: "That's really good, please check those bats. As it is we have been seeing such big sixes. If a bat or two are caught oversized then ban them also."