Versant Cricket Gear: Complete US Brand Guide 2026 — Batting Gloves, English Willow Bats & Guards

Every few seasons a brand shows up in our Edison store that customers start asking about before we have even finished putting it on the wall. Right now that brand is Versant. It arrived as part of our late-summer intake, it is sourced directly rather than through a distributor chain, and it covers a surprising amount of ground for a young label: five batting glove models from $59.99 to $99.99, a five-bat English willow ladder from $239.99 to $624.99, sleeve-style arm guards for adults and juniors, two tiers of thigh guards, and even cricket socks. Two of the glove models carry Shubman Gill's name, and one of them is a numbered limited edition of which exactly two pairs remain on our shelf.

This guide walks through every Versant product we currently stock at topcricketstore.com, with live prices, the differences between the tiers, and honest notes on what is sold out. Everything below reflects our actual inventory on the day of writing, not a catalog wishlist.

Who Is Versant?

Versant Sports is a newer cricket equipment maker whose range has grown quickly in North America. The brand's stated aim is a premium playing feel without the price of a marquee player bat, and the lineup we stock backs that up: the entry English willow bat is $239.99 and the flagship tops out at $624.99, which undercuts the four-figure territory that established player-grade bats now occupy. The brand's highest-profile connection is Shubman Gill — the Showman Glory gloves were created to celebrate his 483-run 2022 season with Gujarat Titans, and the LIT glove line is a Versant x Gill collaboration.

One detail we appreciate as a shop: Versant's English willow bat listings use actual inventory photos. The bat you see on the product page is a photograph of the specific bat in our stockroom, weighed before it ships. With most of the Versant bats currently down to a single piece each, the photo you are looking at is quite literally the bat you would receive.

The Full Versant Range at a Glance

Versant Batting Gloves: Every Model Compared

Gloves are the heart of this range and where Versant is clearly putting its development effort. The five models form a clean ladder, and the jumps between tiers are about materials rather than marketing.

Pro DG — $59.99

The entry point. The Pro DG is built around a composite-fibre shock-absorption layer that Versant rates for ball impacts above 90 mph, with ventilated side and palm mesh to keep hands workable through a long innings. At $59.99 it sits in the same bracket as mid-range gloves from the big Indian brands, and for a club player facing league seamers it covers the essentials without fuss. Right-handed pairs are in stock; left-handed is currently sold out.

Pro DG Pittard — $69.99

Ten dollars more buys a meaningful palm upgrade. The Pro DG Pittard adds a premium Indian Pittard leather palm on a traditional sausage-finger construction — the old-school segmented finger rolls that many batters who grew up on classic gloves still prefer for feel on the handle. Pittard-treated leather resists sweat hardening far better than untreated palms, which is what usually kills a glove's second season. We have right-handed pairs in blue.

OG Black — $79.99

The OG Black takes the same 90-mph-rated shock-absorption approach and wraps it in what Versant calls XH Tech construction — the glove is cut to shape itself to the hand rather than sitting boxy, so it feels lighter than its protection level suggests. The murdered-out black colorway has been the sleeper hit in our Edison store; colored pads and gloves are increasingly common in US weekend leagues where whites-only rules rarely apply. One left-handed pair remains as of this writing, alongside right-handed stock.

GOAT Pro — $89.99

The GOAT Pro is the player-edition glove of the range: a sheep-skin leather palm for grip and feel, calf-skin reinforcement on the high-wear zones, and high-density foam fill across the fingers. That material recipe — soft leather where you feel the bat, tougher leather where gloves wear through — is exactly what you find on gloves costing well past $100 from the marquee brands. If you bat long innings against genuine pace and want one Versant glove to last, this is the one. Right-handed only in stock at the moment.

Showman Glory Limited Edition — $99.99

This is the collector's item. The Showman Glory was produced in a run of exactly 483 pairs to mark Shubman Gill's 483-run 2022 season with Gujarat Titans, and each pair is individually numbered. The two pairs left in our stockroom are #302 and #360 — when they go, that number is gone for good. Underneath the story it is a genuine player-grade glove, but realistically buyers fall into two camps: Gill fans who will frame them, and batters who like walking out with something nobody else at the club owns. Both are valid.

LIT (Versant x Gill) — $69.99 — currently sold out

Worth knowing about even though we are between shipments: the LIT glove uses a sun-reactive imported outer that shifts color in direct sunlight and returns to white in shade, over a Levlon and Pittards leather build. It sold through quickly, which tells you something. If you want a pair, check the product page for restock or call the store and we will hold one from the next delivery.

Not sure which protection level you need? Our batting glove sizing and palm-type guide and the full cross-brand glove roundup put Versant in context against SS, SG, DSC and the rest.

Versant English Willow Bats: The Ladder Explained

All five Versant bats we stock are full-size short-handle English willow, in light or medium weights — there is no Kashmir willow line and no junior line yet. Every listing uses actual photos of the specific bat in stock, so the grains you see are the grains you get. Browse them alongside the rest of our adult English willow bats to compare.

Pro DG English Willow — $239.99

The Pro DG is one of the most affordable genuine English willow short-handle bats in our shop, and the single piece we have is a light bat at 2lb 7oz–2lb 8oz. Light-and-cheap is a rare combination — budget English willow usually runs heavy — so this suits a technically-minded club batter or a strong teenager stepping up to a full-size bat.

Grind English Willow — $309.99

The Grind is pitched as the season workhorse: a medium 2lb 9oz–2lb 10oz build meant to survive a full leather-ball season of nets and league games. One in stock.

LIT English Willow — $449.99

The LIT is the pick of what is currently on the shelf. It is shaped so the hands sit naturally slightly ahead of the ball, with an optimized sweet spot for dynamic stroke play, at a medium weight with a feathery pickup for its size. At $449.99 it competes directly with the second-tier offerings from SS, SG and MRF — see how it stacks up in our $200–$500 bats roundup. One piece in stock.

GC ($374.99) and OG Premium ($624.99) — sold out

The GC and the flagship OG — a traditional mid-to-low sweet spot profile with big edges and clean straight grains — both sold through their first allocation. We have left the listings live so you can check for restock; the OG in particular went fast enough that we recommend calling ahead rather than waiting for the site to update.

A practical note from the shop floor: with single-piece stock, if a Versant bat's photographed grains and weight suit you, decide quickly. Unlike a big-brand model where the next shipment holds twenty near-identical bats, the next Versant delivery will be different individual bats.

Arm Guards and Thigh Guards: Quiet Strength of the Range

The protection line is where Versant is best stocked, and honestly where the value is easiest to recommend to anyone.

The GC adult arm guard ($22.49) is a sleeve-style guard: instead of a foam slab held on with two Velcro straps that slide down mid-over, the low-density foam pad is integrated into a compression sleeve that stays put on the leading forearm. It comes in white, black and navy — all three in stock — so it can match colored kit. The junior and youth version ($19.99) uses the same design scaled down in two sizes, and it is currently the most deeply stocked Versant product we carry, which makes it a safe recommendation for parents kitting out young hardball players this fall.

Thigh protection comes in two tiers, mirroring the glove ladder. The OG thigh guard set ($49.99) covers the leading thigh for club and league cricket without slowing the back foot down; the GC set ($59.99) carries a heavier protective core for batters regularly facing genuine pace on variable surfaces — which describes most matting and turf wickets in New Jersey league cricket. Both come in small, medium and large, all in stock. One honest caveat: the current thigh guard stock is right-handed sets only. Left-handers should read our left-handed player's gear guide for alternatives, or call us — we stock several ambidextrous and LH options from other brands. You can browse the whole category in our adult elbow guards collection.

And Yes, Socks

The LIT cricket socks ($9.99) are proper cricket socks — cut high to work under pads, cushioned against a hard spike plate — rather than a rebadged athletic sock. Stock is thin at the moment (US 5–8 in orange), but at this price they are an easy add-on to push an order past the free-shipping line.

How Versant Compares to the Established Brands

The fair comparison is on price-to-materials. A sheep-skin-palm, calf-reinforced glove like the GOAT Pro at $89.99 undercuts equivalent-construction gloves from the marquee names, and a $239.99 full-size English willow short handle is genuinely hard to find from any established brand. What you give up is track record — nobody has three seasons of club feedback on Versant durability yet, because the brand simply has not been around that long — plus depth of choice, since most models are one or two pieces deep. Our approach in the store has been to treat Versant as a strong value alternative at every tier where it competes, while pointing batters who want a proven multi-year workhorse to our established-brand guides like the premium bats over $500 roundup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Versant a good cricket brand?

Based on materials and build for the price, yes — the glove range in particular uses constructions (Pittard palms, sheep-skin and calf-skin builds, high-density foam) normally found at higher price points. It is a young brand, so long-term durability data is still accumulating, which is reflected in the pricing.

Is Versant connected to Shubman Gill?

Two of the glove lines are Gill collaborations: the LIT series (Versant x Gill) and the Showman Glory limited edition, a numbered run of 483 pairs celebrating his 483-run 2022 Gujarat Titans season.

Are Versant bats English willow or Kashmir willow?

Every Versant bat we stock is English willow, full-size short handle, in light (2lb 7oz–2lb 8oz) or medium (2lb 9oz–2lb 10oz) weights. There is currently no Kashmir willow or junior Versant bat line.

What is the difference between the Versant OG and GC thigh guards?

The GC ($59.99) carries a heavier protective core than the OG ($49.99) and is aimed at batters facing quicker bowling; the OG is lighter and suits club cricket where mobility matters more. Both are right-handed sets in S/M/L.

Do Versant gloves come in left-handed?

The models are made in left-handed versions, but LH stock is currently limited — as of this writing the OG Black has the last left-handed pair, and the Pro DG and GOAT Pro are right-handed only until restock. Call the store to check the latest.

See Versant In Person — or Ship It Free

The best way to judge a glove is on your hand and a bat is by its pickup, and every Versant product in this guide is on the floor at our Edison store: 37 Meridian Rd, Edison, NJ, open Monday–Saturday 11 AM–9 PM and Sunday 11 AM–8 PM. Buy a Versant English willow bat from us and our in-store bat knocking service will get it match-ready before you leave. Ordering online? US shipping is free on orders over $100 — every Versant bat and most glove-plus-guard combinations clear that on their own — and our 7-day return policy applies. If you want one of the two remaining Showman Glory numbered pairs, or first claim on the OG bat restock, call the shop and we will set it aside.