Ex-cricketer Vinod Kambli's brain condition 'not stable,' says doctor treating him for brain clots

Former India cricketer Vinod Kambli's health deteriorated over the weekend and he was admitted to Mumbai’s Akriti Hospital, where he is currently recovering from clots that were detected in his brain after being admitted to the hospital.

On Dec 24, Chief Intensivist at Aakriti Hospital, Dr Vivek Dwivedi, shared an update on the health condition of Kambli.

Dwivedi was quoted as saying, "We admitted him on Saturday evening. He was experiencing muscle cramps and dizziness at home... He had a high-grade fever when we brought him to the hospital and difficulty walking due to muscle cramps. On investigation, we found that he had a urine infection, and sodium and potassium deficiency which were causing muscle cramps.”

“A brain scan revealed that he had old clots because he had suffered a stroke recently. We admitted him to the ICU because he also had low BP... His vitals are stable but his treatment and physiotherapy are ongoing. We are planning to discharge him in 2-3 days." he added.

Dwivedi said, "His brain's condition is not stable... There are degenerative changes in his brain. So, we are focussing more on rehabilitation,".

On Dec 24, Kambli (52) in his first statement after being diagonsed with ‘brain clots’ said that he was alive because of the doctors and that people will see the inspiration that he will give them.

He earlier suffered due to a urinary tract infection before being diganosed with brain clots, raising concerns about his health.

Kambi has been in the news recently due to his health issues. During his appearance at the unveiling of the Ramakant Achrekar memorial in Mumbai recently, many were left worried about the former left-handed who painted a frail picture.

Earlier on Dec 21, Kambli’s condition became critical and he was rushed to the Akriti Hospital in Thane.

Amidst the reports of his deteriorating health, Kambli made his first statement from the hospital and thanked the doctors for their continuous support. Notably, hospital in-charge S Singh has assured Kambli of life-long free treatment.

"I am alive because of the doctors here. All I would say is that I will do whatever sir (referring to the doctor) asks me to. People will see the inspiration that I'll give them," Kambli was quoted as saying.

When Kambli was admitted to the hospital, he was not in a very good condition, Dr. Dwivedi was quoted as saying. However, given that the cricketer was greeting doctors, hospital staff, and fans, one could believe that he was doing better than initially reported, according to him.

"When he was admitted on Saturday, he was having massive cramps along with fever and dizziness. He was not able to sit, and was not able to walk. He was also drowsy at the time of admission," Dr. Dwivedi said.

"We did all the investigation and after that came to know that he was having a urinary tract infection along with electrolyte imbalance. Sodium was a bit on the lower side, potassium was on the lower side. That was the reason for the cramps. His BP was also on the lower side. We started him on antibiotics." he added.

Kambli's health has been a hot topic of debate ever since he joined Sachin Tendulkar at Ramakant Achrekar's stature unveiling ceremony at Shivaji Park. Last year, a video of Kambli went viral where the former cricketer struggled to walk without support and the recent public appearance of a weak Kambli clutching Tendulkar's hand sent fans into a meltdown who requested the cricket fraternity to help the cricketer.

Kapil Dev and a few senior Indian cricketers offered financial help to Kambli provided that he was willing to help himself. This was not the first time Kambli was admitted to the hospital. In a recent interview, he revealed he was admitted to the hospital about a month ago after he collapsed on the ground.

“I was suffering from a urine problem. It was just flowing. My son, Jesus Cristiano, picked me up and brought me back to my feet. My daughter, who is 10 years old, and my wife came to help me. This happened one month ago. My head started spinning; I collapsed and fell down. The doctor told me to get admitted," Kambli was quoted as saying in an interaction on Vicky Lalwani's YouTube channel.