WATCH | Rohit Sharma Frustrated As Umpire Struggles With Gauge To Measure MI Star’s Bat

Rohit Sharma faced a brief bat gauge inspection delay before play and later retired hurt after scoring 19 during MI’s chase against RCB.

Rohit Sharma, the star Mumbai Indians batter, was one of the ray of hopes for Mumbai Indians while chasing Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s 241-run target on April 12 at the Wankhede Stadium. However, well before he walked out to bat, Rohit Sharma was briefly stopped by the fourth umpire near the boundary for an unusual reason.

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In a clip now circulating on social media, Rohit’s bat faced difficulty during a pre-match inspection. Starting from IPL 2025, on-field officials have implemented stricter checks using a bat gauge to ensure that bat dimensions comply with regulations, preventing any unfair advantage from oversized bats.

IPL Rule And Rohit Sharma’s Struggle With Bat

As per IPL rules, the blade width must not exceed 4.25 inches. The thickness of the middle of the blade must remain under 2.64 inches, while the edge thickness cannot exceed 1.56 inches. The plastic bat gauge is required to pass smoothly over the bat.

However, Rohit’s bat caused a brief delay during inspection. The gauge got stuck around the middle of the blade, where the thickness appeared tight. After nearly a minute of trying, Rohit even suggested pushing the gauge through with more force. Eventually, Tilak Varma stepped in to assist, and the issue was resolved, allowing Rohit to take the field.

In the match, however, Rohit’s outing was cut short as he was forced to retire hurt due to a leg strain. He managed 19 runs off 13 deliveries before walking off the field.

As of now, MI is struggling at their home ground with Suyash Sharma of RCB bagging both Tilak Varma and Ryan Rickelton inside 7.5 overs. Currently, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya are cruising at the crease as Mumbai hangs at the required run rate at over 13 at the time of writing.