Former cricketer Sanjay Dobal passes away after contracting coronavirus
Former Delhi all-rounder Sanjay Dobal has died at the age of 52 as he succumbed to complications from the novel coronavirus. He is survived by his wife and two sons. The two sons, Siddhant and Ekansh, play professional cricket for Rajasthan and Delhi respectively. Dobal was a prominent figure in the Delhi cricket circuit and served as a member of support staff.
DDCA took to Twitter to offer their condolences
A DDCA official confirmed the news
"Dobal showed symptoms and was first admitted to a medical facility in Bahadurgarh, a week back. He had tested positive for COVID-19. His condition deteriorated and was shifted to a Dwarka hospital. He was given plasma but the treatment didn't work," a DDCA official said.
Dobal had represented the Sonnet Cricket Club
Dobal was an eminent figure in Delhi cricket. Coached by the renowned Tarak Sinha, Dobal used to play for the prestigious Sonnet Cricket Club, from where the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Nehra, Manoj Prabhakar, Aakash Chopra, and Rishabh Pant have evolved. Despite playing professional cricket, he couldn't get to play First-Class cricket. Eventually, he took up the responsibility of coaching junior cricketers.
Former Delhi captain KP Bhaskar lavished praise on Dobal
Former Delhi captain KP Bhaskar heaped praise on Dobal, stating he always helped and mentored aspiring cricketers. "He was always there for any cricketer travelling out of Delhi. A very jovial man, he went out of the way to help cricketers so they could travel in comfort," former Delhi captain KP Bhaskar was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
Dobal was known for his fitness: Manhas
Former cricketer Mithun Manhas said Dobal was appointed as coach at Air India and focused on fitness. "He started off as a player and later became a good coach at Air India. He was known for his fitness," Manhas told Sportstar. He added, "At his academy (in Dwarka), he always told his trainees to concentrate on fitness before any cricket skills."
Former cricketers express grief
Former BCCI President CK Khanna, Delhi stalwart Madan Lal offered their condolences. Manhas revealed Dobal was diagnosed late of COVID-19, which proved to be fatal. On Sunday, Manhas and Gautam Gambhir had appealed on Twitter for plasma donors to help the former cricketer. Although it was arranged, later on, it proved futile for Dobal.
