IPL 2025: SRH`s Vettori laughs off bat size tests, says modern bats here to stay

Sunrisers Hyderabad head coach Daniel Vettori has brushed aside the recent buzz surrounding bat size checks in the ongoing IPL 2025, asserting that the process doesn’t significantly affect the game.

The former New Zealand spinner, speaking ahead of SRH’s upcoming fixture against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, even joked that he wished such measures had been in place during his playing days. “I wish they`d checked the bats when I was playing,” Vettori quipped during the pre-match press conference.

Umpires this season have been employing bat gauges to ensure players’ bats conform to size regulations, aimed at preventing unfair advantages due to oversized willows. The issue came to light again when Kolkata Knight Riders’ Anrich Nortje was asked to swap his bat after it failed to pass the gauge test during a clash against Punjab Kings. However, Vettori believes the checks are nothing more than a formality.

“No, I don`t think it makes any difference. The guys get tested regularly. The umpires go through the dressing rooms a lot of the time, so (the) guys know that their bats are compliant, so it`s just a quick one second, and everyone moves on,” he said. “It`ll reset anyone trying to have a bigger bat, but it`s pretty easy to get your bat through that gauge,” he added.

Vettori further added that there has been no conversation among SRH players about reducing bat sizes. Instead, he credited modern bat manufacturers for meeting the demand for bigger yet lighter bats. “Not really. I suppose the way that bats have been able to get bigger without an increase in weight, that`s a skill (to be credited) to the bat manufacturers and a demand for what batting groups or batters want these days,” he said. “It`s just part of the game, part of the evolution. Everyone seems to enjoy sixes and fours, so I don`t think we`re going to get a reduction in bat size and it doesn`t really worry me.”

On the tactical front, he revealed that SRH will tap into Ishan Kishan’s insights about his former franchise and the Wankhede conditions. “It would be foolish not to tap into some of that knowledge…he has a wealth of knowledge for myself and the rest of the coaches,” he remarked.