Vinod Kambli walks out of hospital on New Year's day with a message: ‘Shun alcohol and drugs’

Former Team India cricketer Vinod Kambli was discharged from a Mumbai hospital after undergoing treatment for two weeks. He had spent more than a week in the ICU after medical tests reveal clots in his brain last month. The Mumbai-based sportsman has battled numerous health challenges over the years — undergoing an angioplasty to treat blocked arteries after suffering a heart attack in 2013. His struggles with alcohol addiction have also led to multiple stints in rehabilitation as well as affecting his overall health.

“This doctor made me fit and I had stated that I would come back only when I am fit. I will show people in Shivaji Park that I Vinod Kambli will not leave cricket. These guys gave me good cricket practice. I ‘hit’ only fours and sixes,” reports quoted him as saying.

He also urged people to enjoy the new year and stay away from alcohol or narcotic drugs — contending that such vices can destroy one's life. A video of the former cricketer wearing a Team India jersey and wielding a bat before he left the hospital has since gone viral on social media.

Doctors said the former cricketer was now “completely fit” but would have to take certain precautions. Kambli was admitted to the hospital in mid-December after experiencing muscle cramps and dizziness at home. Doctors said Kambli had been running a ‘high-grade fever’ and faced difficulty in walking — as an urine infection and other issues caused cramps. 

"A brain scan revealed old clots, likely from a recent stroke. He was admitted to the ICU due to low blood pressure. His vitals are stable but his brain condition is not — with degenerative changes observed. We are prioritising his rehabilitation," Dr Vivek Dwivedi had told ANI last week.

The left-handed batsman Kambli scored 2,477 runs in his ODI career and accumulated 1,084 runs in 17 Test matches.

(With inputs from agencies)