Kapil Dev recovering from heart attack, nation concerned

NEW DELHI: Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev is recovering after suffering a heart attack. He underwent angioplasty and is expected to be discharged from hospital in a day or two. Wishes and recovery messages poured in from the cricket fraternity and beyond.

The 61-year-old World Cup-winning captain complained of chest pain on Thursday, following which he was taken to Fortis Escorts Heart Institute. Doctors advised angioplasty, which is done to open blocked arteries and restore normal blood flow to the heart.

“Kapil Dev suffered a heart attack. He was evaluated and an emergency coronary angioplasty was performed in the middle of night,” said a hospital bulletin. “Currently, he is admitted in ICU and under close supervision of Dr Atul Mathur and his team. Kapil Dev is stable now and he is expected to get discharged in a couple of days.” Kapil lives in New Delhi with wife Romi and daughter Amiya.

A statement posted on the former player’s Instagram account read: “Thank you everyone for all the love and concern. I am overwhelmed with the good wishes and well on the road to recovery.” News of Kapil’s hospitalisation spread like wildfire and the who’s who of Indian cricket took to Twitter.

Among those wishing him recovery were Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Shikhar Dhawan, WV Raman, the BCCI and Kapil’s teammates Madan Lal and Kirti Azad. Badminton star Saina Nehwal also expressed concern.

Madan Lal said he has conveyed the messages of the well-wishers to Kapil’s family. “To those who have called to inquire, your prayers and wishes are conveyed to the family and received with gratitude. Good health and strength kaps,” read his tweet.

Kapil displayed a brand of cricket in 131 Tests and 225 ODIs that Indians were not known to be capable of playing. Before Courtney Walsh overtook it, Kapil’s 434 was the world record for most Test wickets. He hit eight Test centuries other than the epic unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.