Virat Kohli reaches out to KS Sravanthi Naidu, gives Rs 6.77 lakh

HYDERABAD: Former Indian cricketer KS Sravanthi Naidu, who is struggling to raise funds to meet the medical expenses of her Covid-hit parents, received an unexpected help from Indian captain Virat Kohli, who contributed Rs 6.77 lakh.
To help Sravanthi, several people from the sports fraternity have come forward and are doing their bit. While the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has sanctioned Rs 5 lakh, the Handball Federation of India (HFI) president Arishnapally Jagan Mohan Rao provided Rs 2 lakh to Sravanthi’s family on Thursday.
Sravanthi’s precarious financial situation came to light after R Sridhar, the Indian fielding coach, put out a tweet, asking for help. “Former India and Hyderabad cricketer Sravanthi Naidu’s parents are fighting Covid-19. She already spent Rs 16 lakh and is in urgent need of funds for hospital expenses,” read his tweet.
Soon, Indian cricketer G Hanuma Vihari, who has been helping people while playing county cricket for Warwickshire, started crowdfunding for Sravanthi’s mother’s treatment.
The initiative, however, could raise only Rs 80,000. Badminton star Jwala Gutta also tweeted asking denizens to support Sravanthi.
“My mother is in a critical position while my father is also in the ICU. They are fighting for their lives. I thank HCA for their immediate response,” Sravanthi told reporters.
While Sravanthi’s mother is undergoing treatment at a corporate hospital in Secunderabad for the past 11 days, her father is hospitalized in a Somajiguda health facility.
Sravanthi’s friend and former India cricketer Archana Das told TOI that Sravanthi’s father is recovering, but her mother is not doing very well as she suffered a brain haemorrhage and heart attack.
Das, who also played for undivided Andhra Pradesh and HCA, said that it would be great if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) comes forward and helps the former cricketer. “I believe she even contacted BCCI. We can’t spend Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh in a jiffy as we do not have that kind of money,” she added, underscoring how back in the days, women cricketers were not paid much.
Sravanthi made her debut in 2004 and played 11 international matches-- one test, four one-dayers, and six T20 matches.