Star Cricketers of Kolkata Knight Riders – Sunil Narine & Anrich Nortje fail the On-Field Gauge Test
Ever since the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League began, there has been a constant chatter about the rules and guidelines being implemented by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) one after the other.
With an aim to ensure no unfair advantage is given to the batsmen, the saliva ban was lifted by the IPL management. Subsequently, the IPL Governing Council introduced random bat checks during IPL games as an extension to avoid any preferences to batters.
In the latest turn of events, two of the cricketers from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad had to undergo this test during their latest encounter against the Punjab Kings in Mullanpur stadium.
All-rounder Sunil Narine has a world-renowned reputation of being an explosive hitter; however, the West Indian had to face embarrassment on Tuesday when he failed the customary bat check. As he was preparing to walk out to bat, it was found to be breaching the acceptable limit.
This fault in the compliance has sparked a debate on whether the West Indian was battering bowlers until this latest check by using an incorrect bat’.
His bat was checked before the start of KKR’s chase, and it was repudiated by the on-field umpire. The failure to clear the house gauge test resulted in Sunil Narine being instructed to change his bat as per the required specification.
Another player from the knights’ camp who failed the bat check was tail-ender Anrich Nortje. He was picked to play his first match of this season, and before he stepped out to bat at number 11 in the final phases of the game, he was forced to change the bat like Narine.
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. This was the first time in IPL 2025 that a batter’s bat failed to meet the specifications.
In the past, these checks were carried out inside the dressing room but since the last few matches these random inspections are being carried out on the field of play. In an earlier game, the bats of Hardik Pandya, Phil Salt and Shimron Hetmyer were also checked by the umpires and cleared the gauge test.
The bats of some other KKR batters were also checked outside the playing arena. KKR youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi was also present during Narine’s bat check, but he passed the test.
According to the rules, the width of the bat face should not exceed 10.79 cm, the thickness of the blade shouldn’t be more than 6.7 cm, and the width of the edge cannot be more than 4 cm. Since the start of the IPL, bat checks have been carried out at random intervals in several matches. Officials have walked into the players’ dressing rooms to do the mandatory checks.
