The entire cricket fraternity and fans had a meltdown when they saw ailing Vinod Kambli recently at an event. He had attended an event for iconic coach, Ramakant Achrekar, where Kambli was seen visibly weak. A video has gone viral showing Vinod Kambli holding on to his childhood buddy Sachin Tendulkar and refusing to let go of his hand. The emotional video has touched fans' hearts, and it is well known that Kambli has alcohol addiction issues. However, now 1983 World Cup captain, Kapil Dev has decided to help Kambli but on a condition.
In a viral video, Vinod Kambli can be seen not letting go of Sachin Tendulkar despite the event proceeding and the crowd growing. Now, the former Indian captain of the 1983 World Cup has come forward to offer help to Kambli. However, he has a condition. Kapil's heart reached out to Kambli, and he told former Indian cricketer, Balwinder Singh Sandhu. In the words of former Indian Seamer, Balwinder:
"Kapil (Dev, captain of the 1983 team) has told me clearly that if he wants to go to rehab, then we are willing to help him financially. However, he has to check into rehab himself first. Only if he does that, we are ready to foot the bill, irrespective of how long the treatment lasts."
Another viral video, released in August 2024, showed Vinod Kambli in an unstable condition. He could not walk properly and needed assistance to get off his two-wheeler, step, and walk on the road. Marcus Cuto, a former first-class umpire, revealed that Kambli has severe multiple health issues in an interview with the Times of India. He also said that there was no point for Kambli to go for rehab as he had already gone 14 times. Couto and his brother, Ricky, visited Kambli at his Bandra home after the August video became viral. They expressed their concern over the former cricketer's battles with addiction and health struggles.
Vinod Kambli already had multiple issues with his friends from the cricket industry. As per several media reports, he became distant from his friends and colleagues from the cricket fraternity. This was because of his alcoholism. It was in 2013 when he had to undergo an angioplasty after suffering a heart attack, and his physical condition deteriorated with time. The 1983 World Cup champions had earlier come together to help ex-coach and opener, Anshuman Gaekwad during his fight with cancer. They are hopeful that Kambli will take the steps to regain control of his life. The bond between the 1983 World Cup heroes remains strong.
Vinod Kambli in 1993 made his international debut and played 17 Tests and 104 ODIs for India, as per a Hindustan Times report. After playing first two Test matches, he showed his talent with back-to-back hundreds against Zimbabwe and England. He made a century in Sri Lanka as well. His personal life has been rough as well. It was in 1998 when he married a receptionist called Noella Lewis. They separated, and in 2009, he married model Andrea Hewitt. Kambli reportedly converted to Catholicism after his marriage to Andrea and named their son, Jesus Christiano Kambli.
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What do you think of Kapil Dev's gesture towards ailing Vinod Kambli?
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