The Delhi Premier League (DPL) clash between East Delhi Riders and New Delhi Tigers at the Arun Jaitley Stadium ended in a convincing 36‑run win for the Riders, but the match was overshadowed by a serious injury to umpire Dharmesh Bhardwaj.
In the 18th over of the Tigers’ chase, Lakshay Thareja’s straight drive struck Bhardwaj on the side of his face. The umpire was rushed to hospital and admitted to the ICU for assessment. He had earlier suffered a shoulder blow in a previous DPL fixture.
On the field, East Delhi Riders posted 192/7 in 20 overs, powered by contributions from Vansh Mehra (35), Arpit Rana (33), Mayank Rawat (40), and Suryansh Raina (33). In reply, the Tigers were bowled out for 156, despite a 48‑run stand between captain Himmat Singh (31) and Lakshay Thareja.
Ashish Meena (3/32) and Mayank Yadav (2/9) starred with the ball for the Riders, while Rishabh Sharma (3/34) was the pick of the Tigers’ bowlers. The Riders’ disciplined bowling sealed the win, but concern remains over Bhardwaj’s condition.
