A 76-year-old British broadcast engineer who worked with the Board of Control for Cricket in India was found dead in his hotel room in Mumbai. The deceased, Ian William Laganford, was part of the official broadcast team for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches at the Wankhede Stadium.
The IPL 2026 season started on March 28 with the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). So far, three matches have been played in this marquee tournament, including the recent clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati.
British broadcast engineer found dead in Mumbai hotel amid IPL 2026
Ian William Langford attended the match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 before returning to his room at the Trident Hotel. The next day, hotel staff became concerned when repeated calls went unanswered.
Your daily dose of cricket!
Staff used the master key to enter the room and found it inoperative. The hotel doctor examined Ian William Laganford and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Marine Drive police station officials registered a case of accidental death. Although the post-mortem initially revealed nothing suspicious, further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause.
Due to this sudden death, the ongoing cricket operations in the city have been eclipsed. Mumbai Indians have to play their remaining home matches at Wankhede Stadium.
Many more to follow…
Also Read: Ravindra Jadeja breaks silence on emotional farewell to Shivam Dubey in RR vs CSK IPL 2026 clash
