Last season, a mother messaged us on WhatsApp with a photo of a bat her son had been playing with for three months. He was nine years old. The bat was a Short Handle — full adult size, taller than his hip. She'd bought it at a sports chain after the shop assistant said, cheerfully, "he'll grow into it, madam." The boy had been compensating by holding the bat near the splice, his grip completely off, his front arm collapsing at every shot. His coach had just told her the child needed remedial technique sessions — for a problem that was entirely caused by the wrong piece of equipment.
The bat went back. We sent a Size 5. Within two weeks, his coach said the grip issue had almost fixed itself. The bat was doing what it should — fitting the kid, not the other way around.
This happens constantly. And it's not just bats. It's pads that cover the thigh instead of the knee, helmets that wobble on small heads, gloves where the padding sits over the wrist instead of the knuckles. Junior cricket equipment is sized differently for a reason. This guide tells you exactly what size to buy, at what age, and why getting it wrong costs more than getting it right.
The full bat size chart (Size 0 to Short Handle)
Cricket bat size is matched to height, not age. Age ranges below are approximate — tall nine-year-olds and small twelve-year-olds won't match. Always use height first:
- Size 0: under 117 cm · typically ages 4–5 · the very smallest beginners
- Size 1: 117–122 cm · ages 5–6
- Size 2: 122–129 cm · ages 6–7
- Size 3: 129–137 cm · ages 7–9
- Size 4: 137–145 cm · ages 9–11
- Size 5: 145–150 cm · ages 10–12
- Size 6: 150–157 cm · ages 11–13
- Harrow: 157–163 cm · ages 12–14 · the bridge size between junior and adult
- Short Handle (SH): 163 cm+ · ages 15 and up · standard adult bat
The Harrow is often skipped by parents who think "he's almost an adult, just get the SH." Don't. The Harrow exists because that 157–163 cm window is the exact growth stage where bat weight and handle length tip over into too much. A 13-year-old on a Short Handle is fighting the bat on every stroke.
Bat weight: the problem nobody mentions
Even when parents get the size right, they often pick a bat at the heavy end of the range. A nine-year-old can technically swing a Size 4 that weighs 780g — but they'll do it badly, rolling their wrists early to compensate for the weight. Good junior bats are made lighter intentionally. Rough weight targets by size:
- Size 3: 500–620g
- Size 4: 580–700g
- Size 5: 660–780g
- Size 6: 760–880g
- Harrow: 860g–1.0 kg
If a junior bat feels heavy when your child picks it up in the shop, it is too heavy. Their arms will tire in an over. Pick the lighter end unless a coach has specifically asked for added weight.
Kashmir willow for juniors — always
English willow for a child under 13 is wasted money. Kashmir willow is denser, more forgiving when hit off the edges (which is where kids hit it most), and costs a quarter of the price. A decent junior Kashmir willow bat runs ₹800–₹2,200 depending on size. When the child reaches 14+ and is playing regular school or club cricket with a hardball, that's the time for a Grade 3 English willow. Until then, Kashmir.
Junior pads: fit the knee, not the thigh
Junior pads come in four sizes. Match to the child's height, then check the fit: the top of the knee roll should sit one inch above the kneecap. If the top of the pad sits on the thigh, the pad is too long — the child will walk oddly, the buckle straps will dig in at the wrong point, and a ball hitting the top of the pad will deflect into the inner thigh instead of being absorbed.
- Small Junior: 110–125 cm height · ₹700–₹1,200
- Medium Junior: 125–140 cm · ₹900–₹1,500
- Large Junior: 140–150 cm · ₹1,100–₹1,800
- Youth: 150–163 cm (bridges to adult) · ₹1,400–₹2,200
Check that the foam inside the knee roll is firm, not squishy — squishy foam compresses fully on impact and offers little protection. Squeeze the knee roll in the shop. It should push back.
Junior gloves: measure the hand, not the age
Measure from the base of the palm to the tip of the middle finger. Most parents skip this and guess by age. A ten-year-old with large hands will get bruised knuckles in Boys Small gloves — the padding sits short of the impact zone. Measure first:
- Boys Small: 14–15.5 cm · typically ages 6–8 · ₹500–₹900
- Boys Medium: 15.5–17 cm · ages 8–11 · ₹700–₹1,200
- Boys Large: 17–18.5 cm · ages 11–13 · ₹900–₹1,500
- Youth / Junior XL: 18.5–20 cm · ages 13–15 · ₹1,000–₹1,800
Put the glove on and have the child grip a bat handle. The sausage-finger padding should sit squarely across the knuckles. If it sits on the fingers, the glove is too small. If it covers the wrist, too big.
Junior helmets: certification is non-negotiable
This is the one area where saving money is genuinely dangerous. A helmet bought without a safety certification — or one that's been stored in a bag for three seasons and cracked — does not protect a child's head from a cricket ball travelling at 60–80 kmph. The minimum standard is BS 7928:2013 (the British Standard that governs cricket helmets). Any helmet sold as compliant should have the certification label inside.
Junior helmet sizes by head circumference:
- Junior Small: 51–53 cm · ₹1,200–₹2,000
- Junior Medium: 53–55 cm · ₹1,200–₹2,000
- Junior Large: 55–57 cm · ₹1,400–₹2,200
The helmet should sit level on the head with two fingers fitting between the eyebrow and the peak. The grille should be close enough that a ball cannot push through between grille and peak. Read the full helmet certification guide before buying.
The abdominal guard: not optional, ever
Every junior who bats with a hardball needs a properly fitted box — not just for matches, for every net session. Boys Junior boxes cost ₹150–₹300. This is not the item to skip or delay. A size too small is uncomfortable; a size too large sits wrong and moves on impact. Try it before buying if possible, or buy the right size for the child's waist measurement.
Coach tip: soft trainer balls for ages 6–9
Several junior cricket coaches in Delhi and Pune have told us the same thing: children under nine or ten learning the game should spend their first season on a soft trainer ball — a rubber or foam ball that behaves like a cricket ball but doesn't sting on contact. It removes the flinch reflex that develops when young children are hit by a hard ball before they've learned to move their feet. Once they can judge length and move into position, then switch to the real thing. The gear — pads, gloves, helmet — is still worn for match practice, because habits form early.
The "grow into it" trap and what it actually costs
Here's the real calculation. A Size 5 junior Kashmir willow bat costs ₹1,200–₹1,800. A Size 6 costs the same. A Harrow costs ₹1,800–₹2,800. Buying three bats over three years as a child grows through sizes 5, 6, and Harrow costs roughly ₹5,000–₹6,000 total. Buying one Short Handle now and "growing into it" costs ₹3,000–₹5,000 for the bat — plus potentially months of technique coaching to fix the grip collapse, the wrist roll, and the crouched stance that comes from fighting an oversized bat. The "growing into it" logic almost always costs more, not less.
The complete junior starter kit with prices (2026)
For a child aged 8–12 starting school or club cricket:
- Junior Kashmir willow bat (correct size) — ₹1,200–₹2,200
- Batting pads (junior, sized by height) — ₹900–₹1,500
- Batting gloves (sized by hand length) — ₹700–₹1,200
- Abdominal guard — ₹150–₹300
- Junior helmet (BS7928 certified) — ₹1,200–₹2,000
- Cricket shoes (rubber studs only, no metal) — ₹1,200–₹2,200
- Bat cover — ₹150–₹250
- Cricket socks — ₹200–₹350
Total for the full starter kit: ₹5,700–₹10,000 depending on brand and quality tier. You do not need to buy the top of the range on day one — honest mid-range gear at this age level is entirely appropriate.
Two more things to get right
1. No metal spikes until 14+
Children play on maidan surfaces, concrete, astroturf, and the occasional outfield. Metal spikes on hard surfaces roll ankles. Rubber-stud or dimple-sole cricket shoes only until they're playing regular turf-pitch cricket consistently. At that point, metal spikes become genuinely useful.
2. Check sizing every 12–18 months
Children this age can grow 5–8 cm in a year. A bat that fitted in September may be a size too small by the following March. We recommend checking the thigh-top test at the start of every cricket season and re-buying whatever's been outgrown. Trying to extend a bat size by a year usually means a year of slightly compromised technique.
How Royal Cricket Shop actually helps
Send us three numbers on WhatsApp: your child's height, their hand length, and their head circumference. We send back the correct size for every item in the starter kit, with photos and options at two price points — one honest entry-level, one step up. We note where the quality gap matters (helmets, pad foam) and where it genuinely doesn't at this age (bat grade, glove brand). If a pad or glove doesn't fit when it arrives, we swap within 7 days.
We've kitted out our own kids through this process. We've done it for neighbours, academy parents, and a lot of first-timers who walked into a chain shop and walked out with the wrong size. Cricket is our flagship sport and it's what we know best. Football is our newer side — if you're picking up boots or a football alongside the cricket kit, we'll fit everything into the same order.