Mumbai Cricketer dies after being hit by ball on head from another match

In a tragic incident in Mumbai, a 52-year-old man lost his life while playing cricket at Dadkar Maidan in Matunga on Monday. The fatal injury had occurred when he was hit on the head by a cricket ball that came from an adjacent pitch, catching him unaware of its trajectory. This is not a rare sight in India as multiple matches are being played on the same ground.

The man was allegedly fielding with his back turned towards the batter on the adjacent pitch, rendering him unable to perceive the rapidly approaching ball. The impact occurred behind his ear, leading to his immediate transport to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to the police, the deceased, identified as Jayesh Chunnilal Savla, was engaged in a cricket tournament when a ball struck him in the head, causing him to lose consciousness.

“A tournament was organised by the Kutchi community and the matches were taking place at Matunga Gymkhana Dadkar ground. 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 fell and was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead,” as reported by NDTV Sports and Indian Express.

Space crunch is one of the biggest problems in cities

The two games were part of the Kutchhi Visa Oswal Vikas Legend Cup, a T20 tournament designed for individuals aged 50 or above. Due to constraints in space and limited time, the organizers had to conduct multiple cricket matches simultaneously at the same venue. While it wasn't the inaugural instance of a player getting injured by a ball from another ongoing match, this incident marked the first occurrence where such an injury tragically led to the loss of life.

The police reported the incident as an accidental death and conducted an autopsy to eliminate the possibility of intentional harm, with no evidence supporting such claims found in the report. According to the medical officer at Lion Tarachand Hospital, the individual was declared dead upon arrival at around 5 pm, and the body was subsequently handed over to the family. In urban areas, a shortage of space is a significant challenge for sports enthusiasts.

Due to limited facilities and easy access, many children choose to play cricket and other sports on the streets. Even in public parks and playgrounds, the simultaneous occurrence of multiple matches is a common sight, posing considerable risks.