"If a bat or two are caught oversized then ban them also" - DC pacer makes hilarious suggestion on ongoing bat checks by umpires in IPL 2025

Delhi Capitals (DC) veteran pacer Mohit Sharma jokingly suggested that Indian Premier League (IPL) on-field umpires should consider introducing a ban, in case they find a bat that exceeds the stipulated dimensions during their routine checks. Several players have had their bats checked by the umpires in the tournament so far, before they even face a ball.

Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya was recently subjected to a spot check on the field during the recent clash against the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Other prominent batters like Shimron Hetmyer, Phil Salt, and Riyan Parag also had their bats checked during the afternoon encounter between the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Jaipur.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 season, the fourth umpire was given the license to check the bat dimensions during practice sessions, as well as on match days.

Mohit Sharma praised the new initiative of on-field bat checks by the umpires in IPL 2025.

"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," Mohit Sharma said ahead of DC's clash against RR (via ESPN Cricinfo).

In September 2024, Essex copped a 12-point deduction after one of their batters, Feroze Khushi, was found to have been playing with an oversized bat in the County Championship. In 2022, Durham also faced a penalty worth 10 points for a similar offence.

According to a report by the Indian Express, bats were usually checked by the officials, but never on match days before. As a result, batters often used the loophole to submit authorised bats for the gauge test, while playing with skewered ones during the match.

"If umpires want to check it for their satisfaction, we don't have a problem" - RR batter Nitish Rana on bat checks in IPL 2025

Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Nitish Rana, whose bat was also inspected by the umpires, remarked that he does not have a problem with the new regulation in place.

"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. 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," Rana told reporters (via ESPN Cricinfo).

The clash between RR and DC is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Both sides have had contrasting starts to the IPL 2025 season, and are on the lookout to get back to winning ways after recent losses.