- Viral video shows chaos for water at Ekana Stadium during IPL match.
- Fans criticize stadium facilities and crowd management.
- Concerns raised over basic amenities during matches.
Ekana Stadium Water Chaos: The Indian Premier League (IPL) continues to draw massive crowds across venues in the country, one of which is the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, home of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise. However, concerns over fan facilities and crowd management have now come under scrutiny following a viral video from an IPL 2026 fixture at the venue. The clip, widely circulated on social media, showed chaotic scenes near water canisters inside the stadium premises, with large groups of spectators struggling to access drinking water amid heavy crowd congestion. Check it out:
This is how The richest and kanjus cricket board is serving free water to fans at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium😠pic.twitter.com/34dAYkrMtP
— Bewda babloo 🧉 (@babloobhaiya3) May 8, 2026
The footage seems to be from earlier in IPL 2026, as LSG last played a day match at home in April against Gujarat Titans.
IPL Stadium Facilities Criticized
The visuals triggered criticism online, with several fans questioning the arrangements made for spectators during high-attendance IPL matches and even the overall fan experience at these venues.
Charging premium prices for basic drinking water in peak summer at packed stadiums is honestly indefensible.
— Nakul Agarwal | Credit Card Wallah (@creditcardwalah) May 9, 2026
Lucknow’s stadium management is the worst I’ve seen. Water is just lying around near the toilets. The washrooms are filthy as fuck. Snacks sold inside the stadium are stale and overpriced. It is the stadium that pulls the crowd for its charm and atmosphere. The management is shit
— Lovish (@LovishKVatwani) May 10, 2026
Apart from Dharamshala no stadium I visited which includes Ekana, Mullanpur and Delhi is worth visiting. After paying 6-7k per ticket you get water in a glass that too of 20Rs after standing 30mins in queue in this weather it is actually not healthy to go there
— Sahil sharma (@sahilshrma97) May 9, 2026
Do not attend any type of public event in stadiums of India. They have only high prices tickets, in return there services are worse than an average multiplex
— Diptiman Guha (@T101Guha) May 10, 2026
do better @IPL @BCCI @JayShah
This is disgusting & pathetic
No wonder people dont like going to stadium
— Old Monk (@Desi_Chakhna) May 9, 2026
With IPL crowds continuing to grow every season, fan experience and basic facilities remain just as important as the on-field spectacle. The viral scenes have once again sparked debate around crowd management standards, especially during matches played in extreme weather conditions.
While the league continues to set new benchmarks in popularity, many fans believe equal attention must also be given to safety, accessibility, and overall comfort inside stadiums.
