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Cricket bats have seen a significant improvement in 2023. Many famous bat manufacturers have raised the bar for manufacturing quality, diversity, and design philosophy compared to previous years. This includes the introduction of many new bat lineups from renowned brands such as Kookaburra, GM, MRF, Adidas, DSC, Protos, and SS. All the bats this year have been improved to suit the rapidly transforming cricket gameplay, which is becoming more aggressive and fast-paced.

This expert guide on cricket bats covers everything you need to know, from specifications, playing styles, build styles, and maintenance to knowledge about different cricket brands.

Check our blog to learn more about Cricket Bats from different brands or head to our Youtube Channel for video reviews.

The New Superstar Additions in Cricket Bats Lineups

The new additions in the 2023 bat range from all brands are their newly introduced player bats since many new endorsements have been signed this year. Players like Rishab Pant, Ross Taylor, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Aiden Markram, James Vince, and many others have their bats made from the finest clefts of English willows and are unparalleled in all ways.

Kookaburra has released a new lineup in their 2022 cricket bats range called the Rapid lineup. They have also continued their most famous lineup Kookaburra Kahuna along with Beast and Ghost lineups. SS has the most number of bat lineups and original player bats in their 2023 range, while MRF manufactures very selected but high-quality bats used by Virat Kohli.

You can find detailed video reviews of all bats from manufacturers on our Youtube channel of Cricket Store Online.

What to Know About Professional Cricket Bats in 2023?

Cricket bats have changed a lot due to changed playing dynamics. The game is getting faster with time, and now a run rate of 6 seems very low, even in the ODIs. While the bowlers learn new tricks daily, batters can’t afford to play the wrong shot and consistently score runs. In short, the game is spicier than ever, which needs spicier bats. Don’t worry; we got you covered.

While you check your savings account to see if you can afford to buy a bat from Cricket Store Online, let us walk you through the basic jargon of a bat.

Bat Profile: The overall shape of the bat is known as the bat profile. Some bats have a high and thick spine, while others prefer a soft and thin spine. It depends on the gameplay whether they want thick edges and mid-sweet spot etc. All this refers to the bat profile.

Edge Thickness: Edge thickness and profile refer to how thick the bat’s edge/sides are, which contribute to the bat’s weight, pickup, and ping when hitting the ball. Some bats have sharp edges, while some have round edge profiles.

Bat Handle: Bat handles come in two shapes: Oval and round. It depends on the player's personal preference, which handles type they like more. Top-tier cricket bats from manufacturers have better shock absorption and durability due to the high-quality cane and cork used. There are different sizes of bat handles, but the most commonly used size is the short handle SH.

Spine Height: The line that runs in the back of the bat is called the spine. It increases in height as you move down. The thickness of the spine determines how much wood has been used in the bat and helps in pinning the sweet spot. The higher spine height means more weight but better shock absorption.

Scallop: Scalping is done on the sides of the bat’s spine. Wood is shaved off, and the curved pattern appears on both sides of the spine, which helps keep the spine height the same but reduces weight since extra wood on the sides has been removed. This is called a scallop.

Toe Profile: Round and squared toe profiles are the two most commonly used ones. Some bats have their spines meet the toe to the bottom, while some bats have a duckbill shape toe.

Sweet Spot: In simple terms, the sweet spot is the area of the bat where you can get the maximum performance. It is where the bat has the best pickup, weight distribution, and shock absorption. The sweet spot lies anywhere from mid to the lower side depending on the spine and the type of batsman. Different types of batsmen want different sweet spot location that suits their playing style.

What difference does the location of the sweet spot make?

The location of the sweet spot makes a huge difference in your overall gameplay. There are three types of sweet spots available on modern cricket bats. Their selection depends on the kind of pitch you are playing on.

High Sweet Spot: A high sweet spot means concentrated willow almost at the center of the bat’s blade. This provides a lighter pickup by shifting the bat's weight towards the handle allowing the batsman to play fantastic cut shots with power. High sweet spot bats are usually used on pitches having more bounce in them like Australian pitches. So, if you are a player with gameplay involving lots of cuts and strokes, a bat with a high sweet spot will be your best choice.

Mid-Sweet spot: Mid sweet spot, also called the traditional sweet spot, is located in the middle of the blade’s center and the bat’s bottom. The bat with a mid-sweet spot supports the players in having dynamic gameplay. The bat’s weight is in the blade’s mid to low position because of the density of willow at that point. The bat is ideal for playing on the front foot as well as the back foot. Middle-order batters mostly use these bats to score runs consistently to make a decent total.

Low sweet spot: The bats with a low sweet spot feel a bit bottom-heavy because of the concentration of willow at the blade’s bottom. Low-sweet spot bats are used primarily in subcontinent conditions where the pitches are slow and less bouncy. Batters with an aggressive playing style usually use low sweet spot bats to generate more swing to play lofted strokes with minimum effort. These bats typically feel heavier than the bats with higher sweet spots. So, if you're looking for a bat with a light pickup, these bats might not be the best choice.

How to Choose the Perfect Cricket Bat for Yourself?

There are so many good options that it is becoming impossible to choose just one bat. We get your pain but remember that all good bats are not meant for you. Which bat you should go for depends on your playing style and batting order.

Sweet Spot

If you are a player who likes to score consistent runs by playing drives, strokes, pulls, and cuts, you will need a mid-to-high sweet spot to keep your bat from following through too high. You need to stay down the ground for most shots.

If you just play the death overs or your job is to push the run rate higher, you will need an aggressive bat with a low sweet spot that can help you hit every ball and give you a proper and consistent follow-through when swinging the bat high.

Then comes the in-between, mid to low sweet spot. This can work well for many players with dynamic gameplay (usually middle-order batters).

Bat Handle

Bat handle is just a personal preference. You are comfortable with oval or round handles, depending on you. However, high-quality bats have better shock absorption and are made from high-quality cane that can help you a lot in your batting. This, however, comes down to your budget.

Profile, Edges, and Spine

Profile of the bat refers to the blade’s length, curvature, bat face swell, and edge thickness, etc. It depends on whether you are comfortable using a bat with thick edges and spine height because they weigh more. If the bats with lower edge thickness and spine height work for you the same, then you don’t need to go for heavier ones.

Budget

English willow cricket bats start around $150 and go all the way up to $1500. $150-250 bats are made of the lowest grade English willow and are not paid much attention to as compared to the high-quality grade 1 and 2 bats. International players use these bats, so companies pay close attention to each detail.

For your ease, note that one bat comes in several willow variants so that you can get the same specs in a lower-quality willow from brands like Kookaburra, GM, SS, Protos, etc.

To get more information on which bat can work the best for you, call our experts from CricketStoreOnline.

How to maintain your professional cricket bat to last longer?

This is a short guide on maintaining your professional cricket bat so that it can last longer and give you an overvalue for the money you spend. Bats can break during matches, and there can be several reasons for this that can be avoided with proper care.

Knocking the Bat

Some bats come pre-knocked by the manufacturer, which means that they are ready to use. You should still knock them using a mallet or a ball and gently it the ball from all areas of the bat.

If the bat isn’t pre-knocked and you fear doing it wrong, you can send it to CSO or see our video guide on knocking the bat.

It is important to knock the bat so that it won’t break when you play. This helps in extra pressing the wood.

Oiling the Cricket Bat

Cricket bats need moisture content in them so they don’t get overdry and break. Regular oiling is needed (at least three times a year) to contain the moisture put in by the company. You should not use any other oil besides linseed oil available at our store.

Note that don’t over-oil your bat. Only apply a thin layer, keep the bat faced up (not vertical), and let it absorb for a day. After a day, remove the excess oil from the tissue that has not been absorbed. Gently knock the bat, and it is ready to go.

Storing the Cricket Bat

Never store your bat in a warm place or directly in the sun. If you put it near a heat source, the moisture content will evaporate, and your bat will dry, meaning that it can break anytime.

You can visit our store’s accessories section for more bat care accessories.

What we covered in this article:

Latest additions to cricket bat lineups from brands
Specifications of cricket bats
How to maintain cricket bats
Buying Guide for cricket bats

Cricketstoreonline has served cricketers in North America and worldwide for the past two decades. Our experts know precisely how to serve you. We are the certified distribution partners of major cricket brands and only sell original products. If you are looking to buy a perfect Kookaburra cricket bat in 2023, give us the opportunity to guide you!

You can call our experts from CricketStoreOnline or visit our expert blog on cricket to get more insights on cricket equipment.

Top Cricket Bats from Famous Brands

Now to the spicy question: Which is the best bat for 2023? There are so many, and we can’t even name them all. As we said, different bats suit different players, so there is no all-in-one winner, but when it comes to the art of bat making.

Starting from hand-selected super premium player bats from all brand manufacturers: these bats are made from the finest clefts of English willow and have been paid the most attention to when it comes to pressing, knocking, design, handle quality, weight distribution, etc.

SG, DSC, and SS have the most number of player bats in their 2023 lineups.

The top bats include:

Kookaburra Kahuna Pro Cricket Bat 2023

Kookaburra Ghost Pro Cricket Bat 2023

Protos Original Players Cricket Bat 2023

New Balance TC 1260 Cricket Bat 2023

New Balance DC 1280 Cricket Bat 2023

GM Ross Taylor Cricket Bat 2023

DSC Intense Bull 31 David Warner Cricket Bat 2023

SG Liam Extreme Cricket Bat 2023

SS Keiron Pollard Cricket Bat 2023

GM Ben Stokes Original Bat 2023