Cricket Facts: Amazing facts about cricket bat that you might not know

Amazing facts about cricket bat  – Dating more than 150 years back, the cricket bat has over time seen expansive modulations to it. As the game has changed over years, seeing changes to rules, formats and the need to find the boundary with almost every passing ball in the T20 format, the batsman’s most revered commodity has evolved with the game.

Gone are the days of the thick, heavy bats which batsmen used to carry around with them. Today, bat manufacturers make precise bats, made as per the batman’s exact requirements and specifications. Lightweight, easy to hold and grip, the bats in play today are effervescently easy to swing, made of such delightfully exquisite wood that once connected sweetly with the ball, no boundary in the world is too far to find.

Amazing facts about cricket bat

Evolution of the cricket bat

Initially said to be shaped like a hockey stick way back in the 1620s, owing to the need to hit the ball out of the bowlers’ hands, the early years of the cricket bat were nowhere close to the final version we see today. Eventually, as time passed and laws were modified, the bat’s shape was redesigned to become straight in the shape of a paddle.

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One side of the bat has a deep V (back) while the other side known as the blade is flat, allowing for a seamless blend of air flow and generation of massive power in the centre when the bat connects with the ball. As time went by and ODI cricket was introduced, a shoulder became the latest incorporation in the bat for negotiating high pitched balls.

Till 1979, aluminium bats were a feature in play as well proceeding which laws were once again adjusted to ensure that only wood could be used to craft bats.

Amazing facts about cricket bat – What makes a Cricket bat?

As per the guidelines put in place by the International Cricket Council, a bat has to meet the specific dimensions of not being more than 38 inches or 965 mm long and 4.25 inches or 108 mm wide and the widest part, the blade shouldn’t exceed 4 1/4 inches/10.8 cm.

Made from some of the finest wood across the world followed up by a generous amount of rubbing with linseed oil from exuberant locations, the size and shape of the bat depends on a batsman’s preference.

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A thicker bat is usually shorter in size and heavier as compared to the traditional bat but allows hitting the ball more effectively, requiring the batsman to generate almost no power, making it an extremely efficient one for test matches. In the shorter format of the game, batsmen prefer a longer handle to easily flick, cut, pull and drive the ball and play their full range of shots all around the park as they open their arms with ease.

The most important thing to be kept in mind when purchasing a cricket bat is its pickup, size, and shape. Based on your game, you should go for a bat with a sweet toe if you’re a good driver of the ball and like stepping out to play your shots. Opposing, a high sweeter spot should be preferred if you like cutting and pulling the ball, going for more aerial shots. One of the most important factors to be always kept in mind when purchasing a cricket bat is its weight and grip and if you can nail down of these two essential factors, you’re good to go.

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Amazing facts about cricket bat– Bats used by the leading cricketers in the world

In today’s time, where the game has become more inclined to the batsmen, a plethora of brands have opened up across the cricketing fraternity to create pure maverick pieces to indulge the batsmen in. Used to amass a bagful of runs, we take a look at the bats preferred by the leading batsmen in the world today and what they look for.

AB de Villiers

Handcrafted from one of the most ravishing English wood in the world, the South African cricketer uses Kookaburra’s Kahuna bats which have a flat face, high spine and big edges that provide a large hitting area, weighing in extremely light at 1.1 to 1.24 kg.

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Virat Kohli

One of the world’s finest batman, Virat, uses a bat that weighs between 1.1 and 1.23 kg and is made of Grade-A English willow. It features a curved blade, with a thickness ranging from 38 to 42 mm and with up to 8-12 grains embedded in it. The bat is known to cost anywhere between Rs.17,000 to Rs.23,000.

MS Dhoni

The Spartan line of cricketing bats has developed the Spartan MSD 7 Limited Edition. A bat that weighs in at 1.1 to 1.25 kg and have a larger swell depth resulting in a larger sweeter spot. His bats feature a nine-piece cane handle for better balance and strength and the same brand is also used by Chris Gayle.

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