In Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have brought a new rule. This rule allows umpires and match officials to randomly inspect the bat size of a player even during the match. Previously, such inspections used to take place only in the dressing room prior to the match. Why Is This Rule Necessary? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anil Chaudhary (@anilchaudhary.13) The main reason to bring this regulation is to prevent players from using bats which are larger than the size that is allowed to use. Larger bats could provide an unfair advantage to the batters, especially in a quick T20 game such as the IPL. By inspecting bats during matches, the BCCI aims to ensure everyone follows the rules and maintains the spirit of the game. Also Read | SRH Sign Smaran Ravichandran for Injured Adam Zampa Bat Size Restrictions According to Rules Following are the restrictions every bat must abide by: Total length (including handle): No longer than 38 inches (96.52 cm) Blade width: No wider than 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) Blade depth: No deeper than 2.64 inches (6.7 cm) Edge thickness: No thicker than 1.56 inches (4.0 cm) Handle size: No longer than 52% of the bat's full length Covering on blade: No thicker than 0.04 inches (0.1 cm) Toe protection: No thicker than 0.12 inches (0.3 cm) Umpires check a bat with a special gadget called a bat gauge. The bat has to go through this gauge before it is used during the match. Who Has Been Checked till Now in IPL 2025? In IPL 2025, umpires have already inspected bats of some large hitters. They are as follows: Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians) Phil Salt (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) Shimron Hetmyer (Rajasthan Royals) They were all checked during match to confirm their bats complied with the size specifications. Also Read | Pant’s Fifty vs CSK Gets Love from Girlfriend Isha Negi Why Did This Rule Come into Force Now? According to an Indian Express report, a couple of players were discovered wielding slightly larger than permitted bats. This was disturbing for officials, particularly in an event like the IPL where runs and big hits are the norm. To uphold fairness and sporting spirit, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal stated these spontaneous bat checks would be ongoing. Has Something Similar Ever Occurred Before? Yes. The same thing occurred in the English County Championship. Feroze Khushi, an Essex player, was found using an illegal bat while playing against Nottinghamshire. He was on 21 runs when umpires inspected his bat and discovered that it did not conform to the size regulations. Essex was forced to endure a 12-point penalty, which later affected their chances of winning the championship.