Kamal Ghorui
The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has dismissed allegations of adulteration and unhygienic practices involving soft drinks sold at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during a recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 match.In a statement released on Thursday, the DDCA responded to claims made in a video circulating on social media that appeared to show a vendor pouring a cold drink back into bottles. The association said the action was part of agreed commercial arrangements and operational standards, adding that the bottles were later disposed of “responsibly in line with established environmental and operational guidelines”.
Addressing the viral clip, which surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) after Tuesday’s match between the Netherlands and Namibia, the DDCA said, “We have come across a video circulating on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), alleging that a vendor was seen pouring cold drinks back into bottles during a recent match.”The DDCA clarified that the activity was carried out by the stadium’s authorised concessionaire and complied with event guidelines.“In this regard, it is clarified that pouring is undertaken by the authorised concessionaire for the stadium, in line with the event guidelines. The concessionaire was serving Coca-Cola products in accordance with the agreed commercial arrangements and operational standards,” the statement said.The association further stressed that strict hygiene measures are followed at the venue.
“We follow strict hygiene protocols at the venue. In the instance shown in the video, the vendor, while segregating wet and dry waste, poured the unused beverage back into the bottle before disposal as part of the waste collection process. The bottles were subsequently collected, segregated, and processed in accordance with the venue’s waste management and recycling policy,” the statement added.“It is reiterated that the bottles were disposed of responsibly in line with established environmental and operational guidelines,” the DDCA said.
