Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya found himself at the centre of an unusual moment during Match 29 of IPL 2025, as Mumbai Indians (MI) faced Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, April 13. The contest saw Mumbai snapping Delhi’s unbeaten streak, but before that, it was Pandya’s bat that attracted attention.

As he walked out to bat at No. 5 following Suryakumar Yadav’s dismissal, umpire Chris Gaffaney halted him briefly to inspect his bat using a standard gauge. The gauge, designed to verify the legal dimensions of the bat, was run along its full length to ensure it adhered to IPL regulations—a rare sight, but not unprecedented.

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Interestingly, this wasn’t the first such inspection of the day. Earlier, during Match 28 between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the bats of Shimron Hetmyer and Philip Salt were also checked. According to IPL 2025 playing conditions, a bat must not exceed a width of 4.25 inches, depth of 2.64 inches, and edges of 1.56 inches, and it must smoothly pass through the bat gauge.

Umpire checked Hardik Pandya bat before he came to bat today😭😭
Unreal Aura🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/tV1Pm0yNGm

— ` (@Sneha4kohli) April 13, 2025

While Pandya only managed two runs, Mumbai rode on impactful knocks from Tilak Varma (59), Ryan Rickelton (41), Suryakumar Yadav (40), and Naman Dhir (38*) to post 205/5. In response, Delhi looked well on course during the chase, requiring just 87 runs from 59 balls with nine wickets in hand.

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But what followed was a stunning collapse, as they were bundled out for 193 in 19 overs. Veteran spinner Karn Sharma, making his first appearance of the season, turned the match on its head with a decisive 3/36. It was a much-needed morale-boosting win for MI, and a reminder that experience and depth still count in this fiercely competitive tournament.