A bizarre moment unfolded during Match 7 of the Indian Premier League 2026 clash between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, leaving players and fans equally puzzled. Young batter Ayush Mhatre found himself at the centre of an unusual controversy before even facing a ball.
As Mhatre walked in to bat at No. 3, on-field umpire Abhijit Bhattacharya stopped him, suspecting that his bat exceeded the permissible thickness. The youngster immediately signalled towards the dugout for a replacement, but surprisingly, the second bat also failed the gauge test, adding to the confusion.
However, the situation soon took a dramatic turn. It was discovered that the umpire had been using the bat gauge incorrectly—holding it upside down—which caused the bat to get stuck midway. Once Mhatre pointed out the error, the umpire quickly corrected his approach and cleared the bat, allowing play to resume. The incident sparked reactions across social media, with many terming it a rare and avoidable officiating error.
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Despite the unusual delay, Mhatre showed impressive composure. He came in following the dismissal of Sanju Samson and took a few deliveries to settle in. Soon after, he shifted gears confidently, striking boundaries and building momentum. The 18-year-old raced to 23 off just 14 balls, showcasing his attacking intent while batting alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
UMPIRE TOOK TIME FOR CHECKING BAT OF AYUSH MHATRE #AyushMhatre #SanjuSamson #PBKS #CSK #PBKSvsCSK #ShreyasIyer pic.twitter.com/EJCgrDIVqD
— Somesh Jangra (@CelebrityGalax) April 3, 2026
On the team front, Chennai Super Kings made one change, bringing in Prashant Veer in place of Matthew Short. Punjab Kings, meanwhile, stuck with their winning combination after a strong opening victory, backing continuity.
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While the match had its competitive moments, it was the unusual bat-check incident involving Mhatre that became one of the most talked-about highlights of the game.
Chennai Super Kings: Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmed, Matt Henry, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed. Impact Substitutes: Jamie Overton, Rahul Chahar, Matthew Short, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Gurjapneet Singh
Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Cooper Connolly, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal. Impact Substitutes: Suryansh Shedge, Priyansh Arya, Vishnu Vinod, Pravin Dubey, Hemant Brar
