Former Indian cricketer injured in car crash, wife dies on spot

In an accident in the Mehkar taluk close to Samruddhi Highway near Buldhana district, Maharashtra, Praveen Hinganikar, a former Ranji cricketer and presently the chief curator for the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), was hurt while his wife passed away instantly. Former cricketer Hinganikar has been brought to the Mehkar Rural Hospital to receive medical care after his vehicle rear-ended a parked truck.

It is claimed that the collision occurred as a result of the driver dozing off behind the wheel. Following the accident, an emergency team arrived right away, and the Mehkar police also got engaged. In their Ranji Trophy days, Praveen Hinganikar competed for and captained Vidarbha. In 52 First Class games, he amassed 2805 runs and 47 wickets as an all-rounder. Additionally, Hinganikar participated in 17 List-A games, where he amassed 390 runs and 7 wickets. 

The former Ranji player also served as the curator at Nagpur's Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium from 2008 to 2018, a ground that has received accolades for its outfield and pitches over the years. Hinganikar was suggested to the BCB in 2018 while they were searching for a curator by the Indian Cricket Board. He collaborated with the chief curator there, Gamini Silva, before recently taking up the position himself. 

The Assistant Police Inspector of Police of Mehkar Police Station, Amit Nagre spoke to the Times of India about the severity of the accident and the people involved in it. He said, “The trucker had erred by parking his vehicle at a shady place on the highway. Hinganikar probably failed to spot that the truck wasn’t moving and rammed into it from behind. We have registered a case against the truck driver."

In a police statement released regarding the death and the accident said that the, “Ranji cricket coach Pravin Hinganikar was injured in an accident at Mehkar taluka near Samruddhi Highway in Buldhana district.”