Wednesday night’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad was memorable because former India batsman Vinod Kambli was in attendance.
Kambli has been battling health issues in the last few years. He looks frail and can barely walk now. But despite that, at the Wankhede Stadium, he watched the high-scoring contest from the stands, which, in what should be the only downer for him on the night, was won by SRH rather comfortably.
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There is a video going viral on social media in which one can see Kambli being supported by two men, friends or family, we don’t know. It was a moving sight by all means, even though he was struggling to walk. It was reassuring to see that somehow, Kambli was getting by just fine. The 54-year-old played 17 Tests and 104 ODIs for India, and at one time was considered a better batsman by many than his childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar.
Kambli came from a poor background and then made it to the top of Indian cricket. However, during his career, he wasn’t exactly disciplined, and after it came to an end, he took to the bottle, which had debilitating effects on his body over time.
Life can be cruel at times!
Earlier this month, his friend Marcus Couto provided a health update on Kambli after which cricket fans all over the country feared the worst. “Ever since he was hospitalised in Thane about 18 months ago, Kambli has had a clot in his brain. His memory is not good. He remembers things and then forgets about them. That’s all due to that clot in his brain. Kambli has given up drinking, but he tends to smoke at times. Smoking is completely forbidden for him, because it puts him at risk of a brain stroke, as per the doctor Aadil Chagla, who has been monitoring Kambli’s treatment,” Couto said.
The story spread like wildfire, but not long after, Kambli’s wife, Andrea Hewitt, dismissed Couto’s claims. “By God’s grace, Vinod is fine. I don’t know who is spreading false information about his health,” Andrea told India Today.
Looking at the video from Wednesday night, it’s clear Andrea was right. Yes, Kambli wasn’t in the greatest of health, but if he could come to the venue, things can’t be very bad with him.
Kambli’s life is a great reminder that it’s full of vagaries and that things can change for one overnight. From great to worst and from worst to great! That can happen just in the blink of an eye. Anyway, it was great to see him step out of his house and watch a fantastic game of cricket.