Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings: Ayush Mhatre Engages In Verbal Spat With Umpire After ‘Bat’ Rejection, Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Intervenes

A second case of bat not passing through the umpire’s gauge has emerged in IPL 2026 has emerged in the game between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Chepauk. In visuals surfaced on social media, the umpire was seen checking Mhatre’s first bat, meaning he needed a replacement. However, the second bat didn’t pass the check either as Mhatre decided to bat with the one he initially brought it.

Rahul Tewatia had to change his bat mid-match in Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 fixture

The incident with Rahul Tewatia occurred in the 19th over of the innings after Vijaykumar Vyshak dismissed Washington Sundar for 18 off 16 deliveries, prompting the spin-bowling all-rounder to walk out to bat. The umpires then came together to check the 32-year-old and shook their had, signalling their red signal; hence, Tewatia had to call for another bat. Tewatia notably didn’t pass the requisite bat size, with the rule getting introduced in IPL to prevent the use of oversized bats. As per the rule, the bat face cannot be more than 10.8 cm in width, while the edge cannot exceed 4 cm. Meanwhile, the total thickness of the bat cannot be beyond 6.7 cm.

Mhatre, the right-handed batter, faced a similar issue but continued with one he initially brought.

Chennai Super Kings lose Sanju Samson cheaply after Shreyas Iyer opts to bowl first

To follow his 6 on CSK debut, the Kerala-born cricketer managed only 7 before Xavier Bartlett nicked him off to the keeper. However, Mhatre and Ruturaj Gaikwad are currently launching a counterattack.

Following an eight-wicket defeat in Guwahati to the Royals, the Super Kings have made one change to their playing XI, drafting in Prashant Veer for the Aussie all-rounder Matt Short. However, Punjab have stuck to the same XI that beat the Gujarat Titans in Mullanpur.