Published: Dec 25, 2016, 09:05 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 25, 2016, 09:05 PM (IST)
India‘s limited-overs skipper and Rising Pune Supergiants‘ ( RPS) leader, MS Dhoni may use coloured bats as revealed by Cameron Merchant, the cricket manager at Spartan Sports (the company which sponsors his bat) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 season. Following the trend set by West Indies’ star players Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, who came with coloured willows during the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2016-17, Dhoni may also join them by doing the same in the 10th edition of India’s cash-rich Twenty20 (T20) event. It will be a big step to promote such bats if Indian cricket’s poster boy promotes it to spread its usage.
According to a report in Firstpost, Dhoni may use such bats in IPL 10. “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,” Merchant was quoted as saying. Dhoni had signed a big bat endorsement deal with Spartan in 2013. The sports equipment-maker had also signed former Australian captain Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, Gayle and Russell, England’s Test and ODI skipper Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan respectively, West Indies batting great Vivian Richards and Sri Lanka’s woman cricketer Sripali Weerakkody.
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Russell’s flashy black bat with pink handle (made by Spartan) during the opening match of BBL 6 became the talk of the town and quite a rage on social media. Earlier, even Gayle had used a golden bat – also made by Spartan – in the BBL 2015-16 edition.
Russell has, however, been forbidden from using the coloured bat henceforth, after match officials reported that his bat was leaving black marks on the ball. Under BBL regulations, a player can use a coloured bat as long as it is same colour as their team’s primary kit colour, or black.
It will be intriguing to see if Dhoni uses the coloured bats and what the response will be from the cricketing arena.
