Delhi Capitals (DC) players were left stunned when they discovered that their kit bags had been tampered with during transit from Bangalore to Delhi after their Indian Premier League (IPL) league game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 15th.
The players were shocked to find that 16 bats, along with pads, shoes, thigh-pads, and gloves, had been stolen from their kit bags.
This is the first time that an IPL franchise has lost cricket equipment during transit, and the franchise is currently investigating the matter to ascertain where it happened. The team’s logistics company is responsible for ensuring the safe transit of team kit bags and luggage in advance to the next destination.
After every game, the players are required to keep their kit bags outside their rooms, and the logistics company takes care of the rest.
The stolen items include three bats belonging to skipper David Warner, two belonging to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, three belonging to wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt, and five belonging to youngster Yash Dhull. Several players also lost shoes, gloves, and other cricketing equipment. The foreign players’ bats alone are valued at around one lakh rupees each.
The DC management has reported the theft to the police and has also requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to look into the matter. The team has also requested that the logistics company take additional measures to ensure the safety of the players’ equipment during transit. The incident has raised concerns about the security of player equipment during the IPL season, and the authorities will be taking necessary precautions to prevent any such incidents in the future.
