Inferno vs Apex LimitedTwo bats with nothing scooped out of the back — and the only two that give you no profile choice
Seven of our nine English willow bats let you pick from five profiles. These two do not, and they start at a weight the others treat as the top of the range. Both facts come from the same decision: nothing is removed from the back of the blade.
What concaving is
Turn a modern cricket bat over and look at the back. Between the spine down the middle and the edges at the sides, the willow is usually scooped out — sometimes slightly, sometimes deeply. That is concaving.
Makers do it for one reason: it takes weight out of a big blade. Remove willow from the back and you can keep thick edges and a high spine while producing a bat somebody can actually swing. It also lifts the balance point toward the hands, so the bat feels lighter than the scales say.
Nearly every bat has some. The Inferno and the Apex Limited have none at all.
What removing it does
Every gram stays in the blade
Concaving removes willow from the back, between the spine and the edges. Nothing is removed here.
What that means: More mass behind the ball on every strike, and a minimum weight of 1220g rather than a choice. That weight is the bat, not an option on it.
The edges run above 42mm
Willow that would have been scooped out stays at the sides instead.
What that means: Our widest English willow edges. On a surface that produces plenty of contact away from the middle, the edges are what catch it.
The balance point sits lower
Concaving lifts the balance toward your hands. Without it, mass stays spread down the blade.
What that means: A heavier pickup and a slower bat through the line. You feel this most in the fifteenth over, not the second — which is the honest cost.
There is no profile to choose
Every other bat we make offers five profiles free. These two are built in one fixed full profile.
What that means: The geometry is the bat. Offering a duckbill on a no-concaving blade would undo the reason it exists, so it is not a choice we pretend to give you.
This is a trade, not an upgrade. You gain mass behind the ball and the widest edges we make. You pay for it in pickup — and a bat you cannot swing freely in the fifteenth over has already cost you more than the mass returns.
The two bats, side by side
| Inferno | Apex Limited | |
|---|---|---|
| Concaving | None | None |
| Profile | Fixed full | Fixed full |
| Edges | 42mm+ | 42mm+ |
| Weight | 1220–1280g | 1220–1280g |
| Sizes | Five adult | Five adult |
| Grade | Grade 1, 6–7 grains | Grade 1+ Ltd, 8–10 grains |
| Price | ₹23,999 | ₹42,999 |
Two rows differ. Everything about the shape is identical — same geometry, same edges, same weight band, same sizes. The Apex Limited is not a bigger bat than the Inferno; it is the same bat cut from a finer cleft.
Which of the two
The question is the same one that applies anywhere in the range: can you use a finer cleft?
A higher grade buys consistency of response across the face — the bat behaving the same wherever you strike it. That is worth real money to a player middling the ball regularly in cricket where every ball counts, and very little to a player who is not there yet.
| If you | Buy | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Want maximum mass and edges, in competitive club cricket | Inferno | ₹23,999 |
| Want the same shape from a finer cleft, and middle the ball consistently | Apex Limited | ₹42,999 |
| Want a profile choice and a pickup you can select | Striker or Dominator | ₹20,999 / ₹36,999 |
Notice the Inferno sits only ₹3,000 above the Striker. That is not a step up — it is a step sideways into a different geometry. Buy it because you want the mass, not because it is the next bat along.
The 1220g gate
This is the part that decides whether either bat is for you, and it is worth being blunt about.
1220g is not a minimum we chose. On a conventional bat, concaving is how a maker takes weight out of a large blade. With none, the weight follows from the willow that is still there. The geometry produces the weight.
So the test is simple, and it is the same one we would give for any bat: can you swing it at full speed, and still change to a different shot halfway through? If your hands drop through the stroke, or you are committed the moment the bat starts moving, it is too heavy — and no amount of wanting the edges changes that.
Try it late in a session rather than fresh. Pickup compounds with fatigue, and the overs you lose to a heavy bat are the ones where you were already set.
Who should not buy either
- Junior players. Five adult sizes only, from 1220g. For juniors, Kashmir willow from ₹4,499 or the Surge at ₹7,999.
- Anyone who wants to choose a profile. Every other bat we make gives five, free. Our sweet spot guide covers why that usually matters more than a grade step.
- Players on quick surfaces — matting, indoor, sealed concrete — where the ball arrives early and pickup beats mass.
- Anyone who has not held one. If you are unsure about 1220g, message us before ordering rather than after.
Everything else we make is specified on the bat builder, with each profile, handle and toe illustrated.
Questions buyers ask
What is concaving on a cricket bat? +
Willow removed from the back of the blade, between the spine and the edges. Nearly every modern bat has some, because it lifts the balance point toward your hands and makes a big bat feel lighter than it is. The Inferno and Apex Limited have none at all.
What is the difference between the Inferno and the Apex Limited? +
The cleft, and nothing else. Both are built in the same fixed full profile with no concaving, the same 42mm+ edges, the same 1220 to 1280g weight band and the same five adult sizes. The Inferno is Grade 1 at ₹23,999; the Apex Limited is Grade 1+ Ltd at ₹42,999.
Why do these two bats not offer a profile choice? +
Because the geometry is the point of the bat. A profile decides where mass sits along the blade, and these are built to keep mass everywhere. Offering a duckbill on a no-concaving blade would undo the reason it exists, so we do not pretend to give the choice.
Why do they start at 1220g? +
Because nothing has been removed. On a conventional bat, concaving is how a maker takes weight out of a big blade. With none, the weight follows from the wood that is still there - so 1220g is not a minimum we chose, it is what the geometry produces.
Are these bats good for juniors? +
No. They come in five adult sizes only and start at 1220g, which is more than most junior players can swing through a full shot at speed. For juniors, Kashmir willow from ₹4,499 or the Surge at ₹7,999 is the right place to look.
Do wider edges mean more power? +
They mean more forgiveness rather than more power. Wider edges catch contact away from the middle, which on rough or uneven surfaces is a large share of the shots you actually play. What you give up for them here is pickup speed.
Should I buy an Inferno or a Striker? +
The Striker at ₹20,999 if you want a conventional bat with a profile choice and a pickup you can select. The Inferno at ₹23,999 if you specifically want maximum mass and edges and know you can carry 1220g through a full innings. They are different bats, not a step up.
Is the Apex Limited worth Rs 19,000 more than the Inferno? +
Only if you can use a finer cleft. The shape, edges, weight band and sizes are identical - you are paying for Grade 1+ Ltd timber, which gives more consistent response across the face. If you are not middling the ball regularly, that difference is largely wasted.
Do these bats get the same build as your other bats? +
Yes. The same 8-stage hydraulic pressing, the same multi-piece cane handle, the same fitted toe guard and the same 12-month handle warranty as every bat we make. Only the cleft and the geometry differ.
What can I still customise on them? +
Handle shape, toe shape, size, weight within the band, and free laser engraving. Everything except the profile, which is fixed by design.
Do they need knocking in? +
Yes - six to eight hours on English willow plus light oiling, spread over two to three weeks, with at least thirty minutes on the edges. With edges above 42mm there is more edge to prepare, not less. Add our preparation service for ₹1,000.
Who should not buy these bats? +
Anyone who has not established that they can swing 1220g freely at the end of a long innings, anyone who wants to choose a profile, any junior player, and anyone playing mostly on quick surfaces where the ball arrives early and pickup matters more than mass.
Related: what edge thickness actually does, weight and pickup, and whether Grade 1 is worth it.
Made in Meerut · Nothing removed from the back
Maximum mass, maximum edges, from ₹23,999
Inferno ₹23,999 · Apex Limited ₹42,999 · No concaving, 42mm+ edges, 1220–1280g, five adult sizes · Handle shape, toe shape, size, weight and engraving all free · 8-stage hydraulic pressing · 12-month handle warranty