IPL 2018: Dhoni to use bats with more curve, lighter wood

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni received his new set of willows a day before the opener against Mumbai Indians.

Published : Apr 07, 2018 18:25 IST , Mumbai

Rahul Singh (left), a close associate of Spartan and a friend of Dhoni, handed him the bats.
Rahul Singh (left), a close associate of Spartan and a friend of Dhoni, handed him the bats.
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Rahul Singh (left), a close associate of Spartan and a friend of Dhoni, handed him the bats.

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will use lighter set of bats for the Indian Premier League (IPL) gig starting at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday.

Sportstar understands that Dhoni had ordered the new set of willows a week ahead of the opener against Mumbai Indians.

Dhoni received his arsenal on Friday afternoon at the hotel. In fact, he didn’t board the team bus and left 20 minutes later, with his military-striped armoury.

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“These were the second lot of bats delivered to him as the first lot was a bit heavy. The curve and the round toe he wanted was missing in first set of bats. For IPL games and the T20 format, he prefers more curve. He uses different bats for international games,” Vikram Thakur, the export manager of Spartan Sports, said.

“He sent a message to Kunal Sharma (Managing Director, Spartan Sports) four or five days ago, saying he needed five more bats with a lighter wood and that particular shape,” added Thakur.

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Rahul Singh, a close associate of Spartan and a friend of Dhoni, handed him the bats.

The International Cricket Council restricts use of bats beyond 40mm in thickness of the edges. The overall depth is limited to 67 mm.

But there could be room for experiments in the IPL.

Dhoni is currently in his second three-year tenure with the bat manufacturing company.

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