MS Dhoni likely to change his bat size as new MCC rules take effect in October

New Delhi: Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will struggle to hit his trademark sixes at will once the new Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) rule on cricket bat takes effect this October. The new maximum permitted dimensions of a cricket bat will be 108mm in width, 67mm in depth with 40mm edges.

According to reports, Dhoni carries the bat with an edge of 45mm and is one of the few, besides David Warner and Chris Gayle, who still uses such thick bats. Another West Indian, Kieron Pollard however has reportedly changed the specs.

Known as one of the greatest ever finishers, Dhoni has given fans an unrivaled spectacle with his mind-numbing hitting in the death overs, of which mostly are huge sixes. His rather uncharacteristic but hugely successful swing got the much needed assistance from thick, heavy bats. These bottom heavy bats also allowed Dhoni to execute unthinkable strikes, like his famous Helicopter Shot.

Dhoni uses the heaviest bat with a total weight between 1250gm to 1300gm bat, with a 12-inch sweet spot, which starts from four inches above the bottom of the bat to 16 inches, a TOI report claims.

With the new rules, Dhoni will need to bat with a lighter version, thus limiting his ability.

Unlike his predecessor, skipper Virat Kohli has no such need to change his weapon. It's reported that Kohli and his contemporaries like AB de Villiers, Steve Smith and Joe Root ply their respective trades with 'legal' bats.

The MCC directive means, Dhoni will be able to use his old bats till the end of Sri Lanka-India series, which ends on September 6.

Dhoni is expected to feature heavily in the limited-overs series — five ODIs and a lone T20I.