Delhi Batter’s Blistering Straight Drive Strikes Umpire During DPL 2026 Clash, Video Goes Viral

Umpire Dharmesh Bharadwaj hit in face by cricket ball during New Delhi Tigers vs East Delhi Riders game. See DPL 2026 incident.

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Umpire hit by straight drive during DPL 2026 match.

Lakshay Thareja’s shot hit umpire Dharmesh Bharadwaj.

Umpire Bharadwaj admitted to ICU after being hit.

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On-field umpire hit by a straight drive (Picture credit: Screengrab from Instagram)

New Delhi Tigers’ batter Lakshay Thareja’s powerful straight drive hit the on-field umpire during their match against the East Delhi Riders, with the umpire calling for immediate medical attention, having been hit flush on his face with the ball. The incident took place in the 18th over of the Tigers’ 193-run chase.

Thareja stepped down the pitch and unleashed a fierce straight drive against left-arm spinner Ashish Meena. The ball raced past the bowler, who couldn’t get a hand to it.

The ball struck umpire Dharmesh Bharadwaj on the right side of his face. He tried to duck out of the way but couldn’t move clear of the ball’s path in time. Watch the video here:

As per CricBlogger, Bharadwaj was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, where doctors assessed him for the injury.

It’s worth noting that this wasn’t the first time Bharadwaj had been struck while officiating in DPL 2026. Earlier in the league stage, he was smacked on the shoulder by another straight drive.

East Delhi Riders, meanwhile, put up a formidable 192/7 in their 20 overs after opting to bat first, with Vansh Mehra, Arpit Rana, Mayank Rawat and Suryansh Raina making important contributions.

The Riders got off to a brisk start, with Mehra and Rana putting on 62 runs for the opening wicket during the powerplay. The former made 35 off 21 deliveries before his dismissal, while Rana chipped in with 33 off 22 balls.

After the openers were dismissed, Mayank Rawat and Suryansh Raina continued to put the Tigers’ bowlers under pressure. Rawat struck a quickfire 40 off 23 deliveries, including four sixes, while Raina added 33 off 21 to help the Riders post a competitive total.

For New Delhi Tigers, Rishabh Sharma was the pick of the bowlers with 3/34 in four overs, while Laxman took 2/31.

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Umpire Dharmesh Bharadwaj was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit after being struck in the face by a cricket ball during a DPL 2026 match.

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Original source: https://www.news18.com/cricket/