An aspiring cricketer died by suicide in Puducherry. She was a 19-year-old college student, undergoing cricket training in Puducherry. According to a TOI report, she has been identified as Angel Gangwani, the daughter of a GST superintendent Kashmir Kumar. He has been in Chennai for the past 12 years.
The report further reveals that she was receiving training at a coaching centre in Thilaspet and recently took part in selection trials for the Puducherry T20 cricket team in Thutipet. She wasn’t included on the final list, and according to the report, she was dejected and withdrew afterwards.
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Her house owner, in his complaint, said that she returned to her room at around 8 pm on Wednesday after practice. Also, when her coach tried to contact her late that night, she did not answer. He went to her house to check on her and found her hanging from a ceiling fan in her room. Then her landlord and coach took her to a government medical college hospital in Kathirkamam, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Angel has been in Puducherry for the last two years, living in a rented home in Sokkanathanpet. A second-year BBA student, she studied at a private college in Velrampet.
Mental health in cricket has increasingly come into the spotlight as the sport evolves into a high-pressure, high-visibility environment. The demands of performance, constant scrutiny, and uncertain career pathways can affect an aspiring player’s mental health. Younger and domestic-level players face uncertainties over selection, limited opportunities, financial instability, and the fear of being left out, which can lead to significant stress. Unlike established international players, many of them lack access to mental health support systems.
Even issues like poor form and injuries can make the sport feel overwhelming without proper support. Building healthier environments, both within teams and at the grassroots level, is important.
In the past, established stars like Ben Stokes and Glenn Maxwell have stepped away from the sport at different points to concentrate on their mental health. Their decisions have helped normalise the discussions around mental health in cricket communities. It is changing nowadays, but at the domestic and grassroots levels, the challenges remain complex.
Also, the role of identity and self-worth is an overlooked aspect of mental health in cricket. For many players, it is not just a profession, but an identity. When form dips, injuries occur, or they get dropped, it can feel like a personal failure and not a professional setback.