From narrow gullies to the biggest stadiums, cricket is quite literally everywhere in India. Undoubtedly the country’s most popular sport, cricket is one of those very rare things that have the ability to unite a billion people. But India’s contribution to the sport goes well beyond the excitement on the pitch and some of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen. For the latest instalment of the Magnificent India series, we drove down to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh for a sneak peek into the world of bats and how they’re made. And what better car to do it with than the sporty and athletic new Hyundai i20 N Line.

Around 80km to the north east of Delhi, Meerut is at the forefront of production of not just bats, but sports goods in general. The newly constructed Delhi-Meerut Expressway has brought down travel time to just over an hour and a half and while we did our best to start early in a bid to avoid traffic, there were still plenty of vehicles crowding the road. That, however, brought the i20 N Line’s strengths to the fore as we managed to easily snake our way through thanks to those 120 horses under the hood, the slick-shifting 7-speed DCT and a brilliant handling package.

Following conversations with shop owners in Meerut’s Suraj Kund market, which is the place to go if you’re looking to shop for sports goods and more so, if you’ve got cricket equipment on your shopping list, we were directed to an area referred to as Sports Complex. Aside from being chock a block full of factories manufacturing everything from tennis balls, to footballs to plenty of other sports equipment, this place is also home to some of the biggest names in the world of cricket equipment, including BDM.

If you’ve ever watched cricket, it is highly unlikely that you’d be unfamiliar with BDM. Known for producing some of the finest cricket bats the world over, the company has been a trusted partner for some of cricket’s biggest stars including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina to name a few. In the business since 1986, BDM operates out of a 4,500sq ft setup in Meerut producing bats, gloves, pads and balls for cricket. Having made a name for itself over the years for producing some of the highest quality bats in the world, BDM currently produces more than 600 cricket bats daily. That translates to roughly a bat a minute.

The handles are fashioned out of cane imported from Singapore before being fused with the main blade. After being sliced longitudinally into three pieces, they’re glued together with layers of rubber between to help absorb the shock from the impact with the ball being whacked at more than 100kmph with a bat. These are then left to drive for a day before being lathed into shape and ready to fuse with the blade. The blade is carved out of either Kashmir or English willow. The latter is the preferred choice for those playing at a professional level. The marriage of the handle with the blade at the hands of skilled craftsmen is followed by these pieces being shaped to give them their final form. Another set of craftsmen then skilfully shave off the wood to match the exact weight based on the athlete’s preference.

The workers at BDM, most with years of experience and skills passed on to them over generations, are no less than artists in the way they masterfully craft these bats as per international cricketing standards put in place by the ICC. The final steps include the thread rolled onto the handles, buffing and polishing before receiving the toe guard, handle grip and BDM branding.

This insightful look into the production of bats certainly made the trip to Meerut quite rewarding and the brilliant new Hyundai i20 N Line we had for company only added to the excitement, the kind that other hatchbacks simply can’t match. It also made us realise the staggering scale at which this industry operates in Meerut helping the city gain recognition on a global scale and aiding the spread of India’s magnificence across the world.

The Bat Man - Rakesh Mahajan

BD Mahajan and Sons or BDM traces its origins to pre-independence Sialkot (now in Pakistan) where Rakesh Mahajan’s father and his brothers started operations manufacturing cricket bats and hockey sticks. Following India’s partition, the family moved to Meerut and set up shop to manufacture cricket bats with BD Mahajan and his elder brother working together until 1967 before setting up separate businesses. BDM was formally established in 1986 with Rakesh Mahajan (pictured below) at the helm.

From 12 bats per day in 1967, the company now produces 600 bats every single day. Over the years, BDM has expanded its operations that now includes production of, aside from bats, cricket balls, wickets, gloves, pads and kit bags. BDM’s commitment to quality has helped establish it as a strong player in the export market as well, including markets like England, Australia, South Africa and even countries like the US A, UAE and Canada where cricket isn’t as prominent a sport.

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