Indian cricketer Mayank Agarwal has suffered a major health scare on board a flight to Surat from Agartala and has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a local hospital in the Tripura capital. Agarwal has reportedly consumed a poisonous liquid during the flight from a bottle he believed contained drinking water.
The flight returned to the Tripura capital and Agarwal, captain of the Karnataka Ranji Trophy team, was deboarded and admitted to the ICU section of ILS Hospital in Agartala, according to reports.
He is said to be out of danger.
The 32-year-old, who is currently leading his state team in the ongoing 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, had complained of a burning sensation in his mouth, stomach and throat and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Agarwal believed the bottle contained drinking water and thus consumed it, reports said.
According to officials, Agarwal complained of a burning sensation immediately after drinking from a bottle, which is suspected to have a poisonous substance. Alongside, the Karnataka captain, team manager Ramesh was also deboarded from the plane.
The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is in touch with officials from the Tripura Cricket Association (TCA) and the doctors attending to Agarwal.
The Karnataka team manager, on Agarwal's behalf, has also requested the Tripura police to investigate the incident. A written complaint has been signed and issued to K Kiran Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Tripura West) and a case has been registered under the jurisdiction of the New Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala.
"While sitting on a flight, he saw a pouch in front of him and thinking of it as water, drank it," Kiran told PTI. "He had swelling and ulcers in his mouth. His condition is normal, and his vitals are stable. His manager has made a complaint. We are registering the complaint and will investigate the matter."
Agarwal is set to undergo a few tests following which a decision will be made if he can return home to Bengaluru over the next couple of days for further examination. This all but rules him out of Karnataka's upcoming Ranji fixture.
Agarwal is currently going through a purple patch in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season so far, as he has scored 460 runs in four matches at an average of 44.28. He has struck two centuries to his name. Agarwal was the leading run-getter of the 2022–23 season of India's premier first-class competition.
Agarwal had led the Karnataka team to a 29-run victory over Tripura at the Maharaj Bir Bikram Stadium in Agartala, which started on January 26 and ended on Jan 29.
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