WATCH: Umpire Dharmesh Bhardwaj admitted to ICU after severe blow to face in DPL 2026
A scary incident unfolded at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in Delhi.
The Delhi Premier League 2026 (DPL 2026) match between East Delhi Riders and New Delhi Tigers was overshadowed by a concerning incident involving the umpire Dharmesh Bhardwaj.
This incident was very unfortunate, as the umpire suffered an injury to the side of his face after failing to dodge a straight drive from New Delhi Tigers batter Lakshay Thareja.
The incident unfolded in the 18th over of the Tigers’ chase at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, when Thareja, looking for runs, attempted a forceful hit straight on the rise off Riders’ left-arm spinner Ashish Meena’s bowling. The ball travelled so fast that it left very little time for the umpire to react.
The umpire was in severe pain after sustaining a heavy blow, and players and the medical team rushed to his aid. Medical personnel attended to Bhardwaj on the ground before he was taken for further medical attention.
Reports have confirmed that the umpire was taken to the hospital and is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for observation.
The reports have not confirmed the type or extent of the injury, nor has any official update been made on his medical diagnosis. Bhardwaj had previously sustained a blow to his shoulder earlier this season in the DPL.
East Delhi Riders secured a convincing victory over the New Delhi Tigers
As for the match, East Delhi Riders posted a good total of 192 runs in 20 overs, thanks to the brilliant performances of their batsmen, Vansh Mehra, Arpit Rana, and Mayank Rawat.
Rishabh Sharma remained the pick of the bowlers for the New Delhi Tigers, returning with the figures of 3/34.
Chasing a target of 193, the New Delhi Tigers got off to a good start but kept losing wickets at regular intervals, slipping to 94/4 at the halfway mark. After the early setback, skipper Himmat Singh, alongside Lakshay Thareja, attempted to rebuild the Tigers’ innings.
However, Mayank Yadav dismissing Himmat Singh at the score of 31 led to the collapse that marked the end of the Tigers’ chase. Eventually, they were bowled out for 156, 36 runs short of the total the Riders posted in the first innings.
Who won the match between East Delhi Riders and New Delhi Tigers?
East Delhi Riders secured a comfortable victory by 36 runs.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans.