T20 cricket is not known to be too kind to bowlers but efforts are being made to address the growing imbalance between bat and ball, at least in the Indian Premier League.
After years of listening to complaints about issues like size of cricket bats, small boundaries and growing restrictions on bowlers, this season, IPL officials have decided to take matters into their own hands, literally.
In what could be a significant move for cricket at all levels, match umpires have started to check the dimensions of bats the players are using during the course of a match in the ongoing IPL.
During Sunday's double header - Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals v Mumbai Indians - bats were checked on the field of play.
Umpires used a special gauge through which the bat has to pass in order to be deemed legal. According to the IPL's playing conditions, the bat should not exceed a depth of 2.68 inches, width of 4.33 inches, or have an edge more than 1.61 inches. Also, the curve or bulge of the bat must be within 0.20 inches.
On Tuesday, the gauge was pressed into action and this time, a few bats failed the test.
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Sunil Narine had his bat tested outside the field of play before the start of the second innings in Mullanpur against Punjab Kings. The reserve umpire was seen trying to pass Narine's bat through the gauge but could not, forcing the Caribbean star to opt for another bat.
Then, during the innings, tailender Anrich Nortje's bat was checked as he walked out in the chase with the match in the balance. The Kolkata pacer's bat too was also deemed to be beyond the recommended dimensions.
Interestingly, Kolkata failed to chase down 112 against Punjab and were bowled out for 95.
Why are bats getting bigger?
There is a famous image of South African great Barry Richards holding the bat he used in the 1970s in one hand, and David Warner's bat on the other. The dimensions are comically out of proportion.
However, that does not mean modern bats, that are bigger and thicker, are heavier than older bats. In fact, advances in technology mean players now get to add punch to the sweet spot of the bat, without adding a lot of weight and while also maintaining the balance of the equipment.
What this results in is that even mishits and edges flying off the bat and are going for sixes behind the wicket off miscues.
There were checks and balances in place to monitor the size of bats. Earlier, bats were checked before the start of a match but reports from the IPL suggest some players would sneak in their 'preferred' bats during the game and escape scrutiny. But it looks like that won't be possible any longer.
Also, there is the issue of penalty. If a bowler uses an 'outside' substance to augment his bowling, the rules are very strict and lead to immediate bans, even for the captain. However, batters using oversized bats to gain an unfair advantage still don't attract nearly as many penalties.
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