Sunil Narine And Anrich Nortje's Bats Fail On-Field Inspection In IPL 2025

For the first time in the Indian Premier League (IPL), bats handled by Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine and Delhi Capitals' Anrich Nortje were non-compliant on-field during testing and were replaced prior to the start of play.

It happened during Tuesday's match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings. When Narine and his partner at the opening, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, took to the crease, replacement umpire Syed Khalid did a bat check. Narine's bat was too thick and was not permitted, so he changed to a legally compliant bat. Raghuvanshi's bat cleared the test. Anrich Nortje too had a problem with his bat in the latter part of the match and changed it after the on-field inspection.

This is the initial time in the history of the IPL that bats have been screened and rejected in the field. Earlier, they were checked in dressing rooms prior to matches. The 2025 season brought new protocols in place, and umpires have been inspecting bats on the field, outside the boundary rope, as it was observed in previous matches like Rajasthan Royals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals vs. Mumbai Indians.