Sunil Narine, KKR teammate fail bat measurement check throughout shock loss to PBKS: Report

Kolkata Knight Riders opener Sunil Narine and quick bowler Anrich Nortje failed the bat measurement check throughout their shock defeat to Punjab Kings in Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 15. In response to ESPNcricinfo, each Narine and Nortje had been required to vary their bats earlier than taking strike within the center. The Kolkata Knight Riders pair are among the many first gamers to fail the bat measurement checks in IPL 2025.

Whereas bat measurement checks had been frequent apply in earlier IPL seasons, the BCCI launched on-field inspections to make sure larger vigilance. As batters typically carry a number of bats, it was not at all times assured that the bat introduced onto the sphere was the one which had handed the obligatory verify.

Sunil Narine’s bat was discovered to be outsized earlier than the beginning of KKR’s chase, when the West Indies all-rounder was gtearing as much as open the innings. He was standing alongside Angkrish Raghuvanshi close to the dug-out when the bat measurement verify passed off. Narine’s bat was inspected by reserve umpire Sayed Khalid. Whereas Raghuvanshi’s bat handed by the ‘house-shaped’ bat gauge with out subject, Narine’s didn’t match solely by the body.

Narine was requested to vary his bat earlier than heading out to open the innings. Sadly for KKR, he managed simply 5 runs earlier than being bowled by left-arm pacer Marco Jansen within the very first over.

Anrich Nortje’s bat was inspected on the sphere by the on-field umpires after he walked out to bat within the sixteenth over of the chase. KKR had been struggling at 95 for 9 when Nortje, making his debut for the aspect, got here out with a bat that failed the obligatory measurement verify. He was requested to switch it, and tv footage confirmed substitute fielder Rahmanullah Gurbaz bringing out a compliant bat after Nortje’s unique one failed the gauge check.

Nevertheless, Nortje didn’t get the chance to make use of the brand new bat, as he was left stranded on the non-striker’s finish when KKR’s last wicket – Andre Russell – fell on the primary ball of the sixteenth over.

In a dramatic collapse, KKR had been bowled out for simply 95 runs, as Punjab Kings set a brand new file for the bottom complete efficiently defended in an IPL match.