Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

'Batman' to the rescue for IPL cricket stars

When the Indian Premier League's big hitters need their favourite bat urgently repaired there's one person they call upon -- Aslam Chaudhry, a.k.a. "Batman".

The 65-year-old bat-maker and fixer frequently comes to the rescue of cricket's most recognisable stars out of his small, decades-old workshop in south Mumbai.


"I've done bats for Sachin (Tendulkar), for (Faf) du Plessis, for (Steve) Smith, for Chris Gayle, for most of them," the floppy-haired Chaudhry says.

He is the owner of M. Ashraf Bros, a bat-manufacturing shop set up by his father in the late 1920s.

Chaudhry, who still makes bats by hand, is known as a master of his craft and is in high demand from players during the eight-month-long Indian cricket season.

He is known as Mumbai's "Batman", and the logo on his business card shows two cricket bats in front of bat wings.

Chaudhry works flat-out during the seven weeks of the IPL. The 11th edition is currently taking place, and he is getting regular calls about urgent work.

"The IPL is the busiest time because the bats break quite often," he says, explaining that modern bats tend to be weaker because they don't undergo the same amount of machine pressing as in previous eras.

He also notes that players in T20 cricket like to hit the ball as hard as they can as they try to whack six after six.

"They ring me up, I go to see them and then bring the bats back here. It's a short deadline because they often have to fly off the next day so I have to fix the bats and take them back again asap," Chaudhry says.

- Kohli 'prank' -

While top stars receive plenty of free bats from manufacturers, Chaudhry says they all have a favourite match bat and it's those they send for patching up.

Often Chaudhry is also asked to tweak bats they have received, like adjusting the shape or thickness of edges, to suit each batsman's tastes.

The call to Chaudhry usually comes from a member of the team's backroom staff or the player's representative, but once Indian captain Virat Kohli phoned him personally.

"He said, 'This is Virat Kohli.' I thought it was a prank!" says Chaudhry, laughing. The softly spoken bat-maker has also done work for former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

In Chaudhry's workshop, dozens of cricket bats line a wall. Others are piled on a table and many more are stored away in cupboards, while wood shavings cover parts of the floor.

Photos of Chaudhry with Tendulkar adorn the walls alongside newspaper clippings, including one about the time rookie English batsman Haseeb Hameed turned up with a broken bat.

Chaudhry goes to training sessions at the nearby Wankhede Stadium or to cricketers' hotels to collect the bats due to the hysteria surrounding top players in cricket-mad India.

- 'All hell broke loose' -

"All the big stars dare not come here because they will never get out of this lane alive, there will be so much crowd," he says.

"(Lasith) Malinga made the mistake of coming here once. All hell broke loose and we had to call the police. We had to down all the shutters and he was inside for the best part of two hours until the police came!"

Chaudhry estimates that around a thousand bats come through his shop every year, partly thanks to a fondness among many Indians for patching things up and using them again.

He also makes original bats that are branded "Mehtab" after his father, who started the business from nothing and died in the early 1980s.

When making new bats, Chaudhry starts with a thick block of willow. He shaves it and cuts a V-groove for the handle. A machine then presses a five-tonne weight on the bat to strengthen the wood.

Chaudhry then shaves the bat into its final shape, playing close attention to its curvature while meeting the customer's requirements regarding weight and thickness.

"You have to have a feel for it and be at one with the wood," he explains, describing bat-making as "an art form".

Chaudhry is rare in that he still shaves the wood by hand, vigorously pushing the tool backwards and forwards, stopping every so often to step back and inspect the bat's progress.

"I'm getting older and shaving huge pieces of wood takes quite a bit of strength," he said.

"It saps my energy completely so by the time I am finished for the day I don't want to be talking about broken bats. I don't really care. The following morning though, yes I care."

More For You

Is Shah Rukh Khan planning a £28.5 million pan-India blockbuster with Sukumar

Director Sukumar could reunite with Mythri for a record-breaking project with SRK

Getty Images/ CineJosh

Is Shah Rukh Khan planning a £28.5 million pan-India blockbuster with Sukumar, the director of 'Pushpa'?

Rumours are swirling that Shah Rukh Khan may soon headline India’s most expensive film yet, with a whopping £28.5 million (₹300 crore) offer reportedly on the table. The production house behind the buzz? Mythri Movie Makers, the banner that backed Pushpa and Rangasthalam. If true, this would be SRK’s biggest payday ever.

Mythri Movie Makers eye massive collaboration with SRK for their next big ventureGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Mesmerising Odissi Sandhya at The Bhavan, London

Experience the Vibrant Spirit of odissi in Birmingham

Odissi Dance in Birmingham

Lovers of classical Indian dance and culture will be drawn to a mesmerising evening of performance as Odissi Sandhya takes the spotlight at The Bhavan, London, on Saturday, June 21, 2025. Located at 4A Castletown Road, London W14 9HE, The Bhavan is one of the UK's premier institutions for Indian arts, and the perfect venue to host this celebration of heritage and artistry. The event will be led by the talented dancers of Nritya Alaap, who are renowned for their commitment to preserving and promoting Odissi — one of the eight recognised classical dance forms of India.

Odissi, which originated in the temples of Odisha in eastern India, is celebrated for its lyrical grace, expressive gestures (mudras), and devotional themes rooted in mythology and poetry. Through elegant body movements, dramatic storytelling, and rhythmic footwork, the dancers convey narratives from ancient scriptures and folklore, making the performance both spiritual and artistic.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bryan Johnson

Known for creating the “Don’t Die” project, Johnson has turned his body into a human laboratory

Getty Images

No pizza, no alcohol, no late nights: Bryan Johnson’s strict routine to defy ageing

Bryan Johnson, a 47-year-old tech entrepreneur from California, has become a prominent figure in the global longevity movement, attracting both fascination and criticism for his intense health regime. Known for creating the “Don’t Die” project, Johnson has turned his body into a human laboratory, experimenting with extreme methods to delay ageing and boost long-term health.

From tech success to health obsession

Johnson made headlines in 2013 after selling his company, Braintree, to PayPal for $800 million. Following years of depression and personal upheaval, including leaving the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and divorcing his wife, Johnson redirected his focus to health and longevity.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus to step down after April polls

Chief adviser to the government of Bangladesh Professor Muhammed Yunus speaks during a live interview at Chatham House on June 11, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus to step down after April polls

BANGLADESH interim leader Muhammad Yunus said on Wednesday (11) that there was "no way" he wanted to continue in power after elections he has announced for April, the first since a mass uprising overthrew the government.

The South Asian nation of around 180 million people has been in political turmoil since a student-led revolt ousted then prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, ending her 15-year rule.

Keep ReadingShow less