Umpire Dharmesh Bhardwaj taken to ICU after Lakshay Thareja's straight drive strikes him in the face during DPL match

A serious incident unfolded during a Delhi Premier League 2026 match at Arun Jaitley Stadium on August 17, 2026, when umpire Dharmesh Bhardwaj was struck on the side of his face by the ball. The blow came off a straight drive played by New Delhi Tigers batter Lakshay Thareja from a delivery bowled by Ashish Meena. Thareja appeared visibly shocked immediately after the incident.

Reports indicate that Bhardwaj was subsequently taken to the Intensive Care Unit for assessment following the blow. The incident is particularly notable because Bhardwaj had already sustained a blow to his shoulder in an earlier Delhi Premier League 2026 match during the same edition of the tournament. Bhardwaj is a BCCI-listed Indian cricket umpire who has officiated in the Delhi Premier League previously.

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East Delhi Riders had batted first and posted a competitive total of 192 at Arun Jaitley Stadium. Their openers set the tone early, with Mehra and Rana putting on 62 runs for the first wicket in just 5.4 overs. Mehra contributed 35 off 21 balls while Rana added 33 off 22 balls. Mayank Rawat then struck 40 off 23 balls, including four sixes, and Suryansh Raina chipped in with 33 off 21 balls to help the Riders reach 192.

Chasing 193, New Delhi Tigers found themselves in difficulty at 94 for 4 after 10.2 overs. Himmat Singh and Lakshay Thareja then added 48 runs for the fifth wicket to keep the chase alive. Himmat was eventually dismissed for 31 off 20 balls by Mayank Rawat. The Tigers were ultimately bowled out for 156, losing the match by 36 runs.

For the Riders in the field, Ashish Meena returned figures of 3/32 in four overs and Mayank Yadav took 2/9 in three overs. Rishabh Sharma had earlier taken 3/34 in four overs and Laxman claimed 2/31 during the Tigers' innings. Arun Jaitley Stadium, the venue for this match, is also scheduled to host international fixtures between India and Afghanistan.