India opener and current Karnataka skipper Mayank Agarwal, who was rushed to a local hospital in Agartala after falling ill on a New Delhi-bound flight on Tuesday, had drank a liquid from a pouch, which he assumed was water, before falling sick. The pouch was kept on his seat as he was on board with IndiGo Airlines.
The cricketer, who is now out of danger, has approached the police in this regard. "Mayank Agarwal is stable and his vitals are normal. But his manager has lodged a specific complaint with New Capital Complex Police Station to investigate the matter," SP West Tripura Kiran Kumar told PTI here.
It is unclear what the liquid in the pouch was. According to the police, Agarwal's manager said the pouch was in front of him in the aeroplane. "He drank a little bit not much but suddenly there was irritation in his mouth and suddenly he couldn't talk also and was brought to ILS hospital. He had swelling and ulcers in the mouth. Otherwise, his vitals are stable," the official added.
According to a Tripura Cricket Association official, the entire team was on a flight when Agarwal started feeling uneasy. "He vomited a couple of times while sitting on the flight. Since he started feeling sick, he de-boarded. We quickly sent two of our representatives to the ILS hospital. He is under observation and we are told doctors are running some tests. Now there are multiple theories as to what he might have consumed," a Tripura Cricket Association official said on the condition of anonymity.
The hospital authorities also confirmed the report. "The cricketer was experiencing some oral irritation and swelling on his lips. After being assessed by the consultants of the hospital in an emergency, he was admitted. For now, he is clinically stable and is being constantly clinically monitored," the ILS Hospital officials added.
He is fit to travel to Bengaluru on Wednesday after treatment in Agartala. A probe is on in this regard. "Police have admitted his complaint and we will investigate as to what happened," state health secretary Kiran Gitte added:
A Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) official told PTI that Agarwal will fly back to Bengaluru tonight. However, he will not play the next Ranji Trophy game against Railways in Surat. "He will not be playing in Karnataka's next match (against Railways at Surat from February 2). But other than that, there is no truth in any rumours going around. He is stable now, and we are in touch with doctors and other state officials," the official said.
IndiGo issued a statement, which didn't elaborate on the reason for the medical emergency. "IndiGo flight 6E 5177 operating from Agartala to Delhi returned to origin due to a medical emergency onboard. The passenger was off-loaded and was rushed to the hospital for further medical assistance. The aircraft took off again for its destination at 1620h," the airline said in its press release.
Agarwal, who scored 51 and 17 in the last game, was supposed to travel with the whole team to Surat via Delhi when the incident happened. Karnataka are playing Railways in Surat in their next match.
(With PTI inputs)
