Gujarat Titans’ all-rounder Rahul Tewatia was forced to change his bat when he strode out to the crease during the IPL 2026 game against the Punjab Kings on Tuesday in Mullanpur. The on-field umpire seems to have checked his bat before clarifying the need to change his willow before going out to bat.
Why did the umpire ask Rahul Tewatia to change his bat in Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 game?
The incident 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.
Here’s the moment from the match:
Unexpected twist right in the middle of the game 👀
The umpires step in and stop Rahul Tewatia as his bat doesn’t meet the regulations! 😮#TATAIPL 2026 | #PBKSvGT | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/8O2J6XJtcm pic.twitter.com/txanPzNCPk
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 31, 2026
Tewatia’s bat under the microscope! 🔎
Anil Chaudhary breaks down the “Illegal Bat Law” & why every single bat must pass through the gauge. 👀#TATAIPL 2026 👉 #LSGvDC starts WED, 1st APRIL, 6:30 PM pic.twitter.com/j963oQ3b6p
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 31, 2026
Cooper Connolly sees nervy Punjab Kings home against the Gujarat Titans
As far as the match result is concerned, Punjab Kings saw themselves home by three wickets as debutant Cooper Connolly starred with the bat. The Aussie all-rounder, who fetched ₹3 crore, made an unbeaten 72 and held the innings together even as other experienced batters kept perishing cheaply in pursuit of 163.
The toss had fallen in favour of Shreyas Iyer, who had elected to field first. Vijaykumar Vyshak had starred with figures of 4-0-28-3, while Yuzvendra Chahal snaffled a couple. For the Titans, Prasidh Krishna picked up three wickets, while Ashok Sharma enjoyed a promising debut with figures of 3-0-31-1. But their efforts weren’t enough in preventing a defeat.
