Why did umpires check Shimron Hetmyer, Phil Salt's bat during RR vs RCB IPL 2025 clash?

During the IPL 2025 match on Sunday between the Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the on-field umpires were seen carefully checking the bats of several players. After Dhruv Jurel was dismissed in the first innings and Shimron Hetmyer came to bat, the umpires used a special tool to measure the thickness of the bat's edges. A similar situation occurred when RCB's opening batsmen, Phil Salt and Devdutt Padikkal, stepped up to the crease in the second innings. This was the first time this season that such a thing happened.

While it might have seemed like a standard procedure for the umpires to ensure everything was up to code, it’s important to remember that the IPL governing council has set specific rules about bat sizes in section 5.7.

Here's what the rules say:

5.7.1 The usual length of the bat, when the lower portion of the handle is used, should not be more than 38 inches.

5.7.2 The bat's blade shouldn't exceed the following sizes:

Width: 4.25in / 10.8 cm

Depth: 2.64in / 6.7 cm

Edges: 1.56in / 4.0cm.

5.7.3 The bat's handle shouldn't be more than 52% of its overall height.

5.7.4 The material used as the blade's cover shouldn't exceed 0.04 inches in thickness.

5.7.4 The set size used for material at the toe of the bat should be 0.12 inches.

There are no specified punishments for batters who fail to adhere to these rules; however, on-field umpires have the authority to prevent batters from using bats that do not meet the required size standards.

The issue of bat sizes has garnered significant attention in recent years. Bowlers frequently express concerns about the thickness of modern bats, which they believe allows batters to easily hit boundaries even with edges.

In an effort to address this issue, the BCCI designated the fourth umpire with the responsibility of verifying that players' bat sizes comply with regulations prior to the start of each game. 

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