'Vinod Kambli was perspiring profusely and praying to God'

Driving his white Pajero, former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli was heading back to his residence in Bandra after attending a meeting in Chembur around 9.30 am yesterday, when he started experiencing severe chest pain and difficulty in breathing. Doctors would later confirm that the left-handed batsman had suffered a heart attack.

Vinod Kambli

"He immediately parked on the side of the road and called out for help. One of our constables, who was on duty in the area, noticed him. Seeing his condition, the cop called me to the spot, as I was patrolling nearby," said Sujata Patil, senior inspector, Matunga traffic police.

Sujata Patil, senior inspector, Matunga traffic police, took Vinod Kambli to Lilavati Hospital. Pic/IANS

The duo then moved Kambli to the backseat of his car, following which he requested them to take him to a doctor as soon as possible. "He was sweating profusely and praying to God for his life. Observing his condition he was having great difficulty in breathing, and was clutching his chest I immediately called up the police control room, asking the personnel to decongest the roads, as his wife, who had called on his phone, told us to take him to Lilavati Hospital," added Patil.

This, despite the fact that the incident took place right opposite KJ Somaiya Hospital. On asking why he was taken to the medical institute in Bandra instead, Patil said this was because it was closer to his residence. The constable then drove Kambli's vehicle to Lilavati Hospital, reaching there around 10 am. The patient was put on oxygen support and shifted to the ICU. "We were extremely worried at the time. But on reaching the hospital, he thanked us repeatedly," Patil said.

Condition stable
Meanwhile, doctors at the privately-run institute said Kambli's condition is stable. "He was brought here somewhere between 10 am-10.30 am, and is stable in the ICU. We took his blood samples for further testing. We are yet to decide when he will be discharged," Dr Narendra Trivedi, director of the hospital, told MiD DAY. u00a0