Delhi Capitals’ (DC) players, who are currently playing in IPL 2023, have reported missing of their bats and other equipment from their kit bags when they flew back to Delhi from Bengaluru.
According to a report in Indian Express, 16 bats, pads, shoes, thigh-pads and gloves went missing from DC players’ kit bags once they landed in Delhi on Sunday (April 16).
DC had played against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Saturday afternoon at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Among the bats stolen from the players’ kit bags are three belonging to DC captain David Warner, two of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, three of wicketkeeper-batsman Phil Salt, and five of youngster Yash Dhull. A few other players have lost shoes, gloves and other cricketing equipment. The bats of foreign players cost around a lakh rupees each (total Rs 16 lakh), the report added.
Each IPL franchise has hired a logistics company which is responsible to send players’ kit bags to their respective cities where they play during the season. This is for the first time that cricket equipment has gone missing during the IPL.
“All of them were shocked when they heard that everyone had lost something or the other from their kit bags,” an unnamed DC official was quoted as saying by espncricinfo on Wednesday (April 19).
“This is the first time such an incident has happened and the matter was soon raised to the logistics department, police and later at the airport. The investigation is on,” the official added.
So far, DC has not made any official statement on the incident. DC is currently at the bottom of the IPL 2023 points table, losing all their five games in the season. They play against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Delhi today (April 20).