Fan dies watching India’s World Cup defeat; another attempts suicide

Khanakul/Bhwanipatna, July 11  

India’s shock defeat against New Zealand in the Cricket World Cup’s semi-final on Wednesday claimed the life of a sports enthusiast in West Bengal, while another tried to commit suicide in Odisha.

Unable to bear cricketer MS Dhoni’s run out, Srikant Maity apparently suffered a heart attack and died, police said on Thursday.

Maity, 33, owner of a cycle repairing shop at Sekenderpur in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, fell unconscious immediately after watching the former India team captain being run out in the cricket match at Manchester in England on Wednesday, police said.

Dhoni’s exit was the turning point of the crucial match, which Srikanta was watching on his mobile phone at his shop, they said.

When Dhoni was declared run out, Maity trembled and fell down in a severe shock and lost consciousness, police said quoting villagers.

The villagers rushed him to Khanakul Rural Hospital where the doctors declared him ‘brought dead’, the police said.

They organised a commemorative programme on Thursday and condoled the death of Srikanta, who is survived by his son and daughter.

Two-time champions India made a shock exit from the quadrennial showpiece after failing to chase a modest target of 240 following a top-order batting collapse.

The defeat also led to a 25-year-old man attempting suicide in Odisha’s Kalahandi district by consuming poison on Thursday, state police said.

The man, who was identified as Sambaru Bhoi of Singhbhadi village, watched the match on television along with his friends on Wednesday evening.

Bhoi was confident that India would win and had even argued with his friends about it, said Odisha Police quoting the man’s parents.

Bhoi was reportedly depressed at the outcome of the match. He left his home in the early hours and consumed poison in an agricultural field, police said.

He was rushed to Dharamgarh Sub-divisional Hospital by his family and later shifted to the district hospital at Bhawanipatna.

Bhoi is under treatment at the district hospital and according to doctors his condition is now stable. — PTI