The Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) has moved quickly to address a wave of social media outrage after a video from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium went viral, showing a vendor pouring a soft drink back into a bottle, prompting serious questions about food safety and hygiene at one of India’s premier cricket venues.
The clip, reportedly recorded during a Netherlands vs Namibia group match on February 10, 2026, appeared to show stadium personnel collecting leftover or unused cold drink from disposable cups and transferring the liquid back into a large soda bottle. The video quickly spread online, with many users alleging that this meant drinks were being refilled and resold, a claim that sparked sharp criticism and concern among fans and followers of the event.
However, in an official statement issued on February 12, the DDCA firmly rejected any suggestion that leftover beverages were being reused for sale to spectators. The association clarified that the activity shown in the video was misinterpreted and was actually part of the stadium’s waste management and recycling protocols, not a case of re-selling drinks to paying customers.
According to the DDCA, the person in the video was an authorised concessionaire staff member, operating under agreed commercial arrangements and governed by event guidelines. The pouring of the remaining liquid back into the bottle was carried out as part of segregating wet and dry waste, a step taken to consolidate leftover beverage for proper disposal in line with environmental and operational standards.
“We follow strict hygiene protocols at all venues,” the DDCA statement said. It emphasised that the bottles seen in the video were later collected, segregated and processed according to the venue’s waste management policies, and were not reintroduced into circulation or sold to fans.
The clarification came just hours before Delhi hosted another T20 World Cup match, featuring hosts India, and was an attempt to reassure the public and international spectators that health and safety standards were being upheld.
