[WATCH] KKR players Narine, Russell, Nortje fail bat gauge tests against PBKS

Three Kolkata Knight Riders' players including Sunil Narine failed the mandatory bat gauge test conducted by the umpires during their recently-concluded clash against Punjab Kings at the Mullanpur Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, April 15. The respective batters were made to replace their original bats with secondary ones.

For the unversed, the plastic gauge which is in the shape of a triangle has the dimensions of a legitimate bat. The metrics of a legal willow are as follows -  depth: 2.68 inches, width: 4.33 inches, edges: 1.61 inches. The bulge of the bat on the lower section of the non-hitting side is required to be within 0.20 inches. 

Sunil Narine was the first KKR batter to get involved. Since he was opening the innings during KKR's run-chase, his bat was checked just outside the boundary line ahead of the second innings by reserve umpire, Saiyed Khalid. On the other hand, the bat-check episode involving Russell and then Anrich Nortje unfolded just as they arrived with their bats in the middle prior to the fifth ball of the 11th over and first delivery of the 16th over, respectively.

Sunil@Hitting_Middle

Glad Narine is getting pulled up at least while batting.

11:33 AM · Apr 16, 2025

5.5K377

Prior to IPL 2025, bats were tested by the designated officials on the eve of a particular fixture rather than on matchdays. However, this system had a quite obvious loophole associated with it. A considerable number of batters would turn up for the game with different bats than the ones they submitted for testing on the previous day.

Also Read: 'The wicket was very good, it's a collective failure of the batting unit' - Ajinkya Rahane on KKR's demoralising defeat vs PBKS

Speaking of the game in Mullanpur, KKR suffered a demoralising loss by 16 runs against the hosts. After bundling out the opposition for 111 in 15.3 overs, the Ajinkya Rahane-led side were all-out for a paltry score of 95 after facing 15.1 overs. Coming in as an Impact Player, Angkrish Raghuvanshi top-scored with 37 off 28 to his name. Earler in the evening, a collective bowling performance by KKR was instrumental in restricting PBKS to 111.