Rohit Sharma frustrated as bat fails eligibility check ahead of MI chase against RCB

Rohit Sharma Even before, he seemed visibly depressed. mumbai indians His bat was stopped by the BCCI match officials for a mandatory ‘spec test’ before the massive 241-run chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore began at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday in IPL 2026.The former chief of military intelligence was seen having detailed exchanges with the officer, trying to convince him that there was nothing wrong with the bat. even Tilak Varma He intervened in the discussion when things briefly became tense. After repeated inspections, the bat was eventually removed. Tilak was later heard suggesting that the officer might have picked up the wrong meter.The incident highlights the stricter bat-checking protocols currently in place in the IPL. A stricter ‘bat size test’ has been introduced in IPL 2025, allowing on-field umpires to randomly check bat sizes during matches to ensure compliance. Previously, these checks were restricted to dressing rooms, but from 2025 officials will be allowed to carry out these checks during live matches.According to regulations, the width of the bat face must not exceed 4.25 inches (10.79 cm). Maximum edge thickness is limited to 1.56 inches (4 cm), while the raised center portion cannot exceed 2.64 inches (6.7 cm). The overall length of the bat must be kept within 38 inches (96.4 cm).The match started with Royal Challengers Bangalore scoring a brilliant half-century from Phil Salt (78) and rajapatidar (53). Virat Kohli Also contributing 50 runs, RCB dominated the batting innings with aggressive batting and a string of sixes.Mumbai Indians’ chase of a towering target never quite got into rhythm. MI’s momentum was halted early in the innings when Rohit Sharma was dismissed with a hamstring injury on 19 off 13 balls. Sherfane Rutherford struggled mightily and made an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls while Hardik Pandya (40) and Ryan Rickelton (37) provided early hope.However, MI fell short in the end, finishing with 222/5 and losing by 18 runs in a high-scoring match. The result marked their third consecutive defeat as RCB continued their strong start to the season, climbing to six points to sit third in the table behind Rajasthan Royals (8) and Kings XI Punjab (7).