Team India cricketer Mayank Agarwal on Tuesday, January 31, suffered a major health scare on board an IndiGo flight from Agartala to Surat after accidentally drinking a poisonous liquid from a bottle he believed contained drinking water. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a local hospital in Tripura's capital city Agartala, and is out of danger. A police complaint has been filed through his manager to investigate the matter.
According to officials, the 32-year-old, who is currently the captain of Karnataka cricket team in the ongoing 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, complained of a burning sensation in his mouth, stomach and throat immediately after consuming the liquid. Alongside the Karnataka captain, team manager Ramesh was also deboarded from the plane.
According to reports, Agarwal took the bottle from the seat pouch and felt irritation in his mouth after drinking the liquid. He was unable to talk and had swelling and ulcers in the mouth. A Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official told PTI that they are expecting Agarwal could be flown back to Bengaluru soon. Tripura Health Secretary Kiran Gitte said the best of treatments would be provided to the cricketer and that the police have admitted his complaint.
Agarwal had led the Karnataka team to a 29-run victory against Tripura at the Maharaj Bir Bikram Stadium in Agartala on January 29 in the Ranji Trophy. The Karnataka team was on their way to Surat to play against Railways in their next match at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium on February 2. Karnataka are currently second in Group C of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group with 15 points in four games, with Agarwal scoring the most runs this season.
(With Inputs from IANS)