Understanding Cricket Bat Weight: A Guide for Players of All Levels
A cricket bat is one of the most vital equipment for playing the game of cricket.
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In India when a child is born, the parents hand bat and ball in his hand, which speaks a lot about the importance of sport in the country. However, this isn’t also restricted to India only, cricket is expanding all over the world. The game is rated as one of the major sports going around the world and is slowly gaining popularity in countries where the sport doesn’t have huge followers. The reason behind this is some of the global icons in Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, Sachin Tendulkar and more.
A cricket bat is one of the most vital equipment for playing the game of cricket. Almost every batter keeps around 5-10 bats in his armoury and for some, it is even the most important thing as several cricketers have been seen worshipping their bats. The weight of the cricket, however, is the most significant thing as it depicts the kind of impact batters can have on the game.
A bat with heavy weight can help batters hit the ball with more power as it generates more momentum during a swing. But it comes with a flaw as it requires more strength and energy to hold and swing. On the other hand, lighter bats might not generate enough power but it is easy to hold and swing and allow batters to hit the ball consistently.
What is the weight of a cricket bat
The weight of a cricket bat is one of the things that most cricket lovers don’t know. However, in this article, we will clear all your doubts as to what is the ideal weight of the cricket bat. The weight of the cricket bat might vary from player to player.
However, it shouldn’t exceed 1.22 kg (2.7 lbs). The weight of the cricket bat might also depend on the preference of players. While bulky players prefer heavy bats which can provide more power to the shot while slim players might take lighter bats which can give more control and speed.
The weight of a cricket bat should range from 1.1 kg to 1.4 kg (2 lb 7 oz to 3 lb). Most of the bats of cricket players fall in the range of 1.2 kg to 1.3 kg (2 lb 10 oz to 2 lb 14 oz). The bats ranging from 1.1-1.2 kg or 2.4-2.6 lbs are known as lightweight bats, those between 1.2-1.3 kg or 2.6-2.9 lbs are medium weights and 1.3-1.4 kg or 2.9-3.1 lbs are heavyweight bats.
Weight (KG) | Weight (lb oz) | Classification |
---|---|---|
1.1 - 1.2 kg | 2 lb 7 oz - 2 lb 10 oz | Lightweight |
1.2 - 1.3 kg | 2 lb 10 oz - 2 lb 14 oz | Medium weight |
1.3-1.4 kg | 2 lb 14 oz - 3 lb | Heavyweight |
However, for a bat to be effective, the weight should be distributed equally across it as only then it will ensure proper balance and control. This allows batters to hit the ball perfectly and time it to perfection. The bat these are such that even after hitting the edges, the ball flies away for six.
In modern-day cricket, where batters mostly believe in hitting almost everything out of the park, they ensure that their bats are shaped up perfectly well and can help them get runs quickly and hit some big blows even if they don’t time the ball well.
Bat weight of some famous cricketers
S.No | Player name | Bat weight |
1. | Sachin Tendulkar | 1.47kg |
2. | MS Dhoni | 1.25kg |
3. | Chris Gayle | 1.36kg |
4. | Virender Sehwag | 1.35kg |
5. | Kane Williamson | 1.12kg |
6. | Lance Klusener | 1.53kg |
7. | AB de Villiers | 1.19kg |
8. | Virat Kohli | 1.22kg |
9. | David Warner | 1.22kg |
The bat which was used by the Lance Klusener is the heaviest used by any cricketer in the history of the game. Great Sachin Tendulkar also used a heavy bat in his career the bat weighed 1.12 kg, which is used by Kane Williamson and was the lightest bat used by the batter.
FAQ
How to reduce the weight of a cricket bat?
While the weight of the bat plays a huge role in the performance of the players, there are various ways to reduce the weight of a cricket bat. Reducing weight allows batters to have increased swing speed and better control. One of the common practise is bat shaving, which means shaving the walls of the bat to reduce weight and increase performance. The weight of the bat can also be reduced by using a lighter grip or handle tape.
What is Dhoni cricket bat weight?
Former India cricketer MS Dhoni plays with a medium-weight bat. The keeper-batter uses a bat of size 1.25 kg. Earlier in his career, he used a heavyweight bat just like Sachin Tendulkar, who batted with a bat of weight 1.47 kg.
What is Virat Kohli cricket bat weight?
India batter Virat Kohli uses a lightweight bat for batting. The weight of his bat is 1.22 kg and it’s fair to say that this might be the huge reason behind his success as a batter. He is the leading batter for India in all three formats of the game.
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I am just a guy in his early 20s whose dream was to play cricket but now believes his job is to serve cricket. I picked the cricket bat at the age of 3, pursued science as I grew up but eventually followed my heart to come into journalism and do the second-best thing in the world after playing the sport.