MS Dhoni may use coloured bat in IPL

12/25/2016

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Indian ODI skipper MS Dhoni may use a colored bat in the upcoming IPL on the lines of those used in the Big Bash league, said his sponsors and bat-manufacturing company Spartan. It has also been revealed than the Rising Pune franchise captain is more than welcome to the suggestion.

Spartan, a sporting gear and equipment company, signed Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its ambassador in the year 2013. The company wants him to use a newly designed colored bat in the Indian Premier League games of the upcoming season.

Cameron Merchant, the cricket manager at the Spartan Sports, has also revealed that Dhoni also embraces the use of coloured bats in the IPL.

He said, "Dhoni is more than welcome to use a coloured bat (in IPL). He is such an amazing role model, influential cricketer and kids look up to him," reported the Deccan Chronicle.

Spartan is the first sporting Gear Company to prepare coloured bats for use in professional cricket and is looking to make it popular worldwide. Besides India’s limited over captain Dhoni, Spartan has also signed former Australian captain Michael Clarke, West Indies batsman Chris Gayle, England’s Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan, Australia's pacer Mitchell Johnson, former cricket great Sir Viv Richards and Sri Lanka's woman cricketer Sripali Weerakkody.

Merchant, who had played first-class cricket in New Zealand, also expressed his surprise on the ban on Andre Russell’s bat in the BBL.

The West Indian cricketer, who plays for Sydney Thunders in the ongoing Big Bash league, was recently barred from using a black bat in BBL because it was discovered that it left visible marks on the ball.

He said, "Aidan Blizzard (Sydney Thunder) has used a green coloured bat whereas Mitch Johnson (Perth Scorchers) has used an orange bat.

"The coloured bat is allowed in T20 franchise competitions around the world. Cricket Australia have allowed it with the colours to be the same majority as clubs, i.e Sydney Thunder are black and green so we can have either a full green bat or black bat," he added.

"Spartan Sports originally came up with the idea with Chris Gayle with the original coloured bat of the Golden bat in last years' BBL," he added.

"We thought how can we make the game even more exciting and appealing to the fans and kids and make them smile. If it gets kids enjoying the game and participating in cricket then we are happy."

"We are unsure how Russell's bat had marks on ball but we have gone to precautionary measures and quality control to make sure that it is completely covered so that at no time will the ball come in contact with any colour," he signed off.

MS Dhoni may use coloured bat in IPL

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