Businessman collapses after being struck by ball during cricket match, dies

A businessman died after being struck on the head while playing cricket, police said on Thursday, adding that the incident took place in the Matunga area of Mumbai.

The deceased, identified as 52-year-old Jayesh Sawala, was struck on the forehead by a ball while turning out for a local cricket match and collapsed on the ground, the police said.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where the doctors pronounced him dead, the police informed further.

Sawala was fielding when he was struck by a ball that was hit by someone in another match, which was being played on the same ground.
The incident could have been avoided had proper safety measures been employed and the two cricket matches been played at a greater distance from each other, the police added.
The incident took place at 5 pm on Monday during a T20 match at the Dadkar Ground in Matunga.

Two matches were going on simultaneously at the same ground as part of a local tournament, the police said, adding that the match featuring the businessman was for participants over 50 years of age.

Deepak Chauhan, a senior officer of Matunga police station, said, “An Accidental Death Report (ADR) was registered in the matter and an investigation is underway.”
After post-mortem, the victim’s body was handed over to his family members, the police added.