‘Umpires have a new toy…’: Dale Steyn cheekily links low scores to newly-introduced bat check protocols in IPL 2025
Earlier this week, Kolkata Knight Riders endured a humbling night against Punjab Kings, crumbling in a record-setting low chase of just 112 in IPL 2025. An unusual disruption was at the heart of the chaos– three KKR batters were forced to change their bats after failing a gauge test enforced under the IPL’s new compliance rule.
As per the revised bat dimension regulations, any blade used must pass through a triangle-shaped plastic gauge, which measures width (4.33 inches), depth (2.68 inches), edge thickness (1.61 inches), and bulge curve (within 0.20 inches). Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Anrich Nortje all saw their bats flagged and replaced during the innings, compounding the tension already simmering in the KKR dugout.
“Umpires have a new toy. Batters coming in with their 2nd choice bats… Check the scores… haha,” quipped Dale Steyn on X (formerly Twitter), hinting that the bat change may have subtly impacted scoring outcomes in the tournament.
Though seemingly trivial at first, the disruptions coincided with one of the most baffling collapses in IPL history. Chasing just 112, KKR were bowled out for 95, gifting Punjab a stunning 16-run win – the lowest total ever defended in the IPL.
The innings had flickers of stability when Ajinkya Rahane (17 off 17) and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (37 off 28) added 55 for the third wicket, taking the team to 62/2. With just 50 runs needed off 74 balls and eight wickets in hand, the match appeared all but sealed.
What followed, however, was a cataclysmic collapse. KKR lost six wickets for just 17 runs, slumping to 79/8 and eventually folding inside 16 overs.
“It’s not like a 140 or 150, and it’s not like a 60-run target. It was a total that was always gonna be awkward,” said former South Africa coach Mark Boucher on Star Sports following the match.
“They came out being quite tentative… I just don’t think the batters that came in were batting at the intensity that they needed to.”