A strange and dramatic moment unfolded during Match 7 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 between Chennai Super Kings And punjab kings At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where play was halted briefly due to a costly umpiring error. young batsman Ayush Mhatre Before playing a memorable innings he found himself at the center of an unusual bat controversy.
Umpire’s mistake creates confusion as Ayush Mhatre’s bat fails gauge test twice
This incident happened when Mhatre came to bat at number three after being out. sanju samson. As the youngster prepared to take over, on-field umpire Abhijeet Bhattacharya stopped him, suspecting that his bat did not conform to the rules of permissible size.
Mhatre’s bat was subjected to a gauge test, which checks whether the dimensions fall within the legal limits. Everyone was surprised to see that the bat failed the test. The confusion deepened when Mhatre called for a replacement bat from the dugout, but that too appeared to fail.
However, the situation took a bizarre turn when it was revealed that the umpire was misusing the bat gauge – holding it upside down. This error caused the bat to get stuck in the middle, giving the false impression that its thickness was greater than the permitted thickness. After a brief discussion and Mhatre pointing out the issue, the umpire corrected his approach. The bat then passed the test and play resumed, much to the relief of the CSK camp.
Umpire took time to check Ayush Mhatre’s bat #ayushmhatre #sanjusamson #PBKS #csk #PBKSvsCSK #shreyasiyar pic.twitter.com/EJCgrDIVqD
– Somesh Jangra (@CelebrityGalax) 3 April 2026
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Mhatre responded with a brilliant knock
If the early interruption unsettled Mhatre, he showed no signs of it when play resumed. The 18-year-old took a few balls to settle but soon shifted gears with confidence and flair.
After facing his first four balls cautiously, Mhatre performed aggressively and scored 23 runs off the next ten balls. His intent and composure were evident, especially against Punjab’s disciplined bowling unit. He made an important partnership of 96 runs with the CSK captain. Ruturaj Gaikwad (28), steadied the innings after initial setbacks. This partnership proved vital in building momentum on a surface that often demands patience.
Mhatre’s innings became historic as he scored a brilliant 73 runs in 43 balls with the help of six fours and five sixes. With this effort, he became the youngest player to score an IPL half-century in Chepauk, breaking a long-standing record held earlier. Suresh Raina. The youngster showed particular dominance against pace, defeating Arshdeep Singh with three consecutive fours and dispatches marco janson For many sixes. His fearless stroke play put CSK in a strong position.
CSK took advantage of Mhatre’s talent and scored a mammoth score of 209/5 in 20 overs. Valuable contribution came from Shivam DubeyWho remained unbeaten after scoring 45 runs on 28 balls, and Sarfaraz KhanWho added 32 runs in just 12 balls. For Punjab Kings, vijaykumar vaishya Whereas, was a standout performer with figures of 2/38 Marco Jansson, Xavier Bartlett And Yuzvendra Chahal Each got one wicket.
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