An unexpected twist unfolded during the closing stages of the Gujarat Titans' innings on Tuesday in New Chandigarh during their IPL 2026 clash against the Punjab Kings, as visiting batter Rahul Tewatia was flagged by the on-field umpire for breaching a bat-size regulation and was forced to make an immediate correction.
The incident occurred in the penultimate over of the innings, shortly after Tewatia walked in following the dismissal of Washington Sundar. However, before he could take strike, the umpire halted proceedings to check the gauge of his bat—a practice that has become routine in international cricket and has been implemented in the IPL since last year.
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Tewatia’s bat failed the gauge test, prompting the umpire to instruct him to change it before continuing. The moment was later shared by broadcasters on social media, drawing widespread attention.
Since April 2025, IPL match officials have been using bat gauges to ensure compliance with size regulations. While the organisers did not issue a formal statement when introducing the checks, the move is understood to be aimed at maintaining a fair balance between bat and ball, preventing batters from gaining an undue advantage through oversized equipment.
{{/usCountry}}Since April 2025, IPL match officials have been using bat gauges to ensure compliance with size regulations. While the organisers did not issue a formal statement when introducing the checks, the move is understood to be aimed at maintaining a fair balance between bat and ball, preventing batters from gaining an undue advantage through oversized equipment.
{{/usCountry}}The regulation traces its origins to measures first enforced by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2018. Under Law 5 of the Marylebone Cricket Club’s Laws of Cricket, bat dimensions are strictly defined—edges must not exceed 4 cm (1.56 inches), the overall depth is capped at 6.7 cm (2.64 inches), and the width cannot exceed 10.8 cm (4.25 inches).
Earlier in the game, Punjab Kings won the toss, with captain Shreyas Iyer opting to bowl first. The home side’s bowlers, led by the experienced Yuzvendra Chahal, effectively choked Gujarat Titans in the middle overs, restricting them to 162/6 on what appeared to be a good batting surface.
Chahal returned figures of 2/28 from his four overs, while seamer Vijaykumar Vyshak impressed with 3/34.
For Gujarat Titans, skipper Shubman Gill top-scored with 39 off 27 balls, while Jos Buttler contributed 38 off 33, but the overall batting effort lacked momentum.