The Indian Premier League governing council condoled the death of British broadcast engineer Jan William Langford, who was working with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the 2026 edition of the franchise league.
Langford was found unconscious in his hotel room in South Mumbai on Monday morning and was immediately taken to a hospital by the hotel staff. Officials confirmed that he was declared dead on arrival.
IPL releases statement on the death
"The IPL Governing Council and all stakeholders involved express their deepest condolences on the untimely demise of Mr Ian Williams Langford, a dedicated broadcast engineer, who was an integral part of our broadcast operations. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends back home," the IPL said in a statement.
"The IPL is committed to providing all necessary support and assistance to Mr Langford's family during this incredibly difficult time. The health, safety and overall security of every member involved in the smooth functioning of the IPL continues to remain of utmost importance," the IPL added in the statement.
He was specifically in India to cover the ongoing IPL matches, but his death has sparked major concern now. On March 29, the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders locked horns at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
After the match, Ian returned to his hotel room (No. 2715) late in the evening. The next day, the receptionist tried calling his room, but there was no response from Ian. After some time, the hotel staff went to check on him because there had been no response from inside for a long time.
Ian was found lying on the floor of his room
The staff opened his room using a master key and found Ian Langford lying on the floor. The in-house doctor of the hotel was informed soon after, but the broadcast engineer was declared dead. The accidental death report has been registered at the Marine Drive Police Station, and the investigation is underway into the matter.
Ian's death has brought back the memories of Dean Jones passing away in September 2020 during the IPL. A well-known commentator, Jones, died due to a heart attack, even as all the personnel related to IPL, including the players, were inside a bubble due to COVID-19 restrictions.
