When you live in India, where one sport, cricket, is promoted like a religion, becoming an athlete implies that you are already saddled with a lot of local and national obligations.
A person risks his entire life when he chooses to make a career out of athletics. A professional’s passion for gaming enables them to view life through the perspective of failure and success, from skipping exams to being away from family. The agony of losing loved ones, however, cannot be compared to the desire.
Athletes frequently lose connection with their loved ones since they have to spend a lot of time away from them to fulfil their obligations to their sports teams.
In fact, players frequently find themselves having to restrain their emotions prior to a crucial game when they learn suddenly that a loved one has passed away during the game.
The same level of passion for the sport has recently been shown by Baroda cricketer Vishnu Solanki. The day after her birth, Vishnu Solanki’s daughter passed away. The player’s father passed away during the match versus Chandigarh, but he remained with his side, Baroda, and watched his father’s funeral on video in a section of the locker room. Solanki went on to hit a great century for his team in a game against Chandigarh.
What a player . Has to be the toughest player i have known. A big salute to vishnu and his family by no means this is easy🙏 wish you many more hundreds and alot of success 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/i6u7PXfY4g
— Sheldon Jackson (@ShelJackson27) February 25, 2022
Numerous cricketers, including Vishnu Solanki, have supported their teams while also grieving lost a family member.
The list of cricketers who tragically lost someone dear to them during a game or in between tournaments is below:
1. Just before a pivotal game in December 2006, Virat Kohli’s father passed away. The following morning, Virat, who was better at controlling his emotions as a player but sobbing uncontrollably as a son, arrived at Kotla Stadium early.
2. During the 2017 IPL season, when Rishabh Pant’s father passed away. But after conducting his father’s funeral rites at home, he went back to the cricket field for his team’s subsequent match.
3. Sachin Tendulkar lost his father when the 1999 World Cup was underway. After hastily travelling to India for his father’s death, he returned to the cricket field and recorded an iconic inning.
4. The passing of Vinod Kambli’s mother right before the SF vs. TN Ranji Trophy game in Mumbai. Kambli, who played the SF, claimed it was one of the hardest games he had ever played because he was constantly emotional during the contest.
5. Eknath Solkar played in the 1969 Ranji Trophy final while his father was dying. His father passed suddenly in the midst of the game. When Eknath Solkar carried out his father’s final rituals, he was filled with emotion. After that, he came back to help Mumbai gain an important lead in the first innings.
6. Just before the 2019 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy began, Tushar Deshpande’s mother passed away. He made the decision to play for Mumbai rather than go back home, and as a result, he equalled the second-highest number of wickets in the tournament.
7. Just before the World Cup in 2019, when Asif Ali’s two-year-old daughter Noor Fatima passed away from cancer. Asif was visiting England for an ODI series at the time.
8. Gordon Greenidge learned that his daughter was unwell when batting on an amazing 154 in the 1983 Antigua Test. Greenidge flies off to Barbados in a hurry to be with his daughter. Two days later, she passed away.
9. In the 2019 Test match against England, Alzarri Joseph lost his mother in the middle of the game. The English squad praised Joseph at the crease as he prepared to bat.
10. At the age of 16, Naseem Shah lost his mother in Australia. Naseem did not, however, return home.
11. During the 2018 IPL, when Ngidi’s father passed away. He left for home before coming back to CSK to play.
12. When Surinder Marwah, his father-in-law, who passed away from cancer, was honoured when Nitish Rana dedicated his fifty against DC in IPL 2020.
13. Despite losing his father, Mandeep Singh competed for Punjab Kings in the IPL.
14. Manoj Tiwary’s father passed away during the 2017 IPL. Manoj was a crucial member of RPSG. He returned and did well for the team.
15. Mohammed Siraj’s father passed away during India’s 2020 visit of Australia. Siraj was unable to travel to the funeral of his father. Siraj ended up taking the most wickets for India in the Test series.
16. Chetan Sakariya lost his brother while he was representing Saurashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2021.
17. Mohammad Azharuddin learned of his grandfather’s passing while playing a tour match against England in 1984, a few days before making his Test debut. Despite being rattled, Azhar scored three tonnes in his first three Test matches.
