Vinod Kambli At Risk Of Brain Stroke, Friend Reveals Details

Vinod Kambli was long considered the next big thing in Indian cricket when he arrived on the big stage in the 1990s. At times, he was even compared to his childhood friend and former India teammate Sachin Tendulkar. Despite playing 104 ODIs and 17 Tests for India, Kambli disappeared from the scene after failing to maintain his form. In December 2024, he was admitted to Akruti Hospital in Thane for a urinary infection and cramps. His poor health condition became the talk of the town, and several big names came forward to offer him financial aid.

Kambli is recovering but is still not fully fit. One of his friends has revealed that he has a clot in his brain.

"I have formed a WhatsApp group including his friends-mostly cricketers-and without taking names, they contribute a lot financially. His memory isn't good, but over the last six months, it hasn't declined either. He can't remember much, but when something clicks, he does. Otherwise, it gets difficult for him. Vinod has a clot in his brain, which cannot be removed because he did not take precautions early. And the doctor has suggested that he could have a brain stroke. Because of his willpower, he is conjuring whatever he can," Kambli's friend Marcus Couto told Hindustan Times.

"The doctor (the famous neurosurgeon Adil Chagla, also a former cricketer) is saying that the next stage would be a brain stroke. He has stopped drinking, but sometimes when he goes down, he asks those passing by to help him with a smoke. He would ask auto drivers for a cigarette, and they would gladly oblige, thinking they're helping 'The Vinod Kambli'. But they don't realise what harm they are causing. The damage is now not to his heart, liver or kidney; it's his brain. It causes imbalance."

Kambli has given up drinking and recently even shot for a commercial for an ice cream brand, said the report.

Last year, a video of a frail Vinod Kambli went viral as he was meeting cricket great and his long-time friend Sachin Tendulkar during the inauguration of the memorial of their coach, Ramakant Achrekar. A few days later, Kambli was admitted to hospital due to a health emergency. Former players like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev raised their concerns as well.

1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev had offered to take him to a rehab centre. 

"Balwinder [Singh Sandhu] was handling that. The 1983 World Cup team has a group where they decided to help Vinod. Ballu did contact me. At the time, I had a friend, Dr. Santosh Jadhav, who runs a hospital in Panvel. He had agreed to keep Kambli there for at least 11 months and even designed a day-to-day programme. It would have cost Rs 1 lakh per month. But when I spoke to them, they said they wouldn't fund it. Kapil asked me to tell Vinod to come to Haryana, where he has a rehab centre, but I told him rehab wasn't the solution. Then the doctor told me the next stage could be a brain stroke, which would require hospitalisation. So if that were to happen, we would have wanted him to have the best possible medical care," said Couto.

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Vinod Kambli India Cricket Team Kapil Dev Sachin Tendulkar Cricket