A devastating event occurred in Mumbai when a 52-year-old man lost his life while playing cricket at Dadkar Maidan in Matunga. The incident happened on Monday, January 8, when he was unexpectedly hit on the head by a ball from a nearby pitch. The man, who was fielding with his back to the batter on the adjacent pitch, was unaware of the fast-approaching ball. Tragically, he was hit behind the ear and quickly taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An eyewitness, as quoted by Times of India, said,"He fell down and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead".
The incident took place during the Kutchhi Visa Oswal Vikas Legend Cup, a T20 cricket tournament for individuals aged 50 and above. Due to limited space and time constraints, the organizers were compelled to conduct two or more cricket matches simultaneously on the same ground. While there have been previous instances of players getting injured by balls from other matches, this tragic event is likely the first where such an injury resulted in a fatality.
The police have filed a report categorising the event as an accidental death. Additionally, they conducted an autopsy to eliminate any suspicion of a deliberate act causing the injury, but the investigation revealed no evidence of intentional harm.
The medical officer at Lion Tarachand Hospital stated that the individual was declared dead upon arrival at around 5 pm. Subsequently, the body was released to the family.
According to the police officials, the incident took place around 5pm on Monday.
“A tournament was organised by the Kutchi community and the matches were taking place at Matunga Gymkhana Dadkar ground,” an officer said, as quoted by Indian Express.
“There were two matches taking place on the same ground at the same time and while Savla was fielding for his team, a ball that was hit by a batsman from another match suddenly hit him on his head due to which he fell unconscious,” he added.
The police also stated that Savla, who was a businessman, is survived by his wife and a son.
The scarcity of space is a major issue for sports enthusiasts in urban areas. Often, children are compelled to play cricket or other sports on the streets due to inadequate facilities or lack of accessibility. It's a common sight in public parks and playgrounds to see multiple matches occurring at the same time, which significantly increases the risk of accidents.
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