Former Australian captain Michael Clarke was involved in a near-fatal car accident in Ahmedabad after commentating on the IPL 2026 final. He escaped with bruises, expressed concern for his injured driver, and praised the BCCI for their supportive response.
The former Australia captain, Michael Clarke, experienced a near-fatal car accident after the IPL 2026 final between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Clarke was part of the commentary panel for the recently concluded IPL season, where he shared the mic with former cricketers and captains, including Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, AB de Villiers, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Faf du Plessis, Dale Steyn, Ian Bishop, and Simon Doull, among many others.
The former Australia captain also commentated for the high-stakes final, which saw RCB successfully defend their maiden IPL triumph by defeating GT. However, his stay in India for the IPL commentary duties ended on a harrowing note.
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‘Half of the Car Being Under the Truck’
Though Michael Clarke returned home after his duty as an IPL 2026 commentator, the former Australia captain revealed that his journey to the airport nearly turned fatal. Speaking on his Beyond23 Podcast, Clarke recalled falling asleep after the RCB vs GT final, only to wake up to see the car almost under the truck.
He further added that his driver told him that the truck’s brake lights were not functioning, which led to the high-impact collision where their vehicle ended up partially wedged underneath the semi-trailer.
“I was asleep. I fell asleep after the game, travelling. Obviously, I wasn't driving. Then I woke up to virtually the front half of the car being under a truck." Clarke said.
“The driver explained to me that the brake lights on the truck weren't working. So my driver had hit the truck up the backside. Again, it was a big semi-trailer, and our car had gone underneath. The car's certainly written off," he added.
The IPL commentators, including Michael Clarke, were provided with travel and transportation services by the official logistics partners of the tournament. Clarke was part of the IPL’s commentary panel in the previous two seasons and overall seven editions of the tournament. Clarke took up commentary duties following his retirement from his international career.
Clarke Concerned About his Driver
Though Michael Clarke was himself fortunate enough to escape the wreckage with only bruises, he remained deeply distressed by the state of his driver. The 2015 World Cup-winning captain stated he was ‘really concerned’ because the driver was visibly shaken and appeared to have suffered a broken leg in the crash.
“I got away with some bruises, but I definitely think he [the driver] had a little break in his leg," Clarke said.
“I was really concerned because he was so scared. It wasn't his car, he works for the company," he added.
The car accident reportedly took place on the way to the airport in Ahmedabad, shortly after the conclusion of the IPL 2026 final. Following the accident, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was in constant touch with him as well as with the driver, ensuring both received the necessary care and support in the aftermath of the collision.
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Impressed by BCCI’s ‘Unreal’ Response to Incident
Michael Clarke expressed his gratitude to the BCCI for their ‘unreal’ response to the accident, noting that the board remained in constant communication with both him and his driver to ensure they received the best possible care. He further added that the accident was shocking to him, as he woke up to see a car underneath the truck.
“Everyone at the BCCI, everybody there, they've been checking in on him and they've been checking in on me. They've been unreal. So I'm very grateful for that." Clarke said.
“It was a complete accident. These things happen all the time, but for me it was more the shock because I was fast asleep and then woke up to see myself so close to being underneath a truck," he added.
Despite the accident, Michael Clarke managed to reach the airport on time and took the flight back home. Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, he expressed relief at his survival and gratitude for the kindness shown to him in India.
