Former India batter Vinod Kambli is currently at risk of a brain stroke after doctors identified an untreated clot in his brain, prompting his close circle of friends and former cricketers to form a WhatsApp group to coordinate financial support and medical assistance.

 

The immediate concern centres on the clot, which according to those close to him can no longer be removed because precautions were not taken early enough. Kambli’s memory remains weak, and while his condition has stayed stable over the last six months, the neurological risk has become the defining part of his recovery battle. The straight-face irony is stark: the bigger threat now is no longer the damage once associated with alcohol, but the imbalance being caused by the brain itself.

 

Friends create WhatsApp group as treatment costs rise

 

Kambli’s friend Marcus Couto said the support system now runs through a WhatsApp group comprising mostly former cricketers, with contributions coming in quietly to sustain his treatment. Couto said,

 

“I have formed a WhatsApp group including his friends, and without taking names, they contribute a lot financially. His memory isn’t good, but over the last six months, it hasn’t declined either. He can’t remember much, but when something clicks, he does. Otherwise, it gets difficult for him."

 

He added,

 

“Vinod has a clot in his brain, which cannot be removed because he did not take precautions early. And the doctor has suggested that he could have a brain stroke. Because of his willpower, he is conjuring whatever he can."

 

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Smoking lapses add to neurological danger

 

Couto further explained that although Kambli has stopped drinking, his fading memory often leads to dangerous lapses, particularly when he forgets medical restrictions around smoking. He added,

 

“The Doctor is saying that the next stage would be a brain stroke. He has stopped drinking, but sometimes when he goes down, he asks those passing by to help him with a smoke. He would ask auto drivers for a cigarette, and they would gladly oblige, thinking they’re helping ‘The Vinod Kambli’. But they don’t realise what harm they are causing. The damage is now not to his heart, liver or kidney; it’s his brain. It causes imbalance."

 

Kambli is now walking with support and undergoing regular check-ups, while his family and former teammates continue to focus on keeping his condition stable rather than allowing further decline.