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Vinod Kambli was warned, told to 'stop partying, smoking cigarettes, going with girls': 'But he said I am the king now'
Very early in his career, Vinod Kambli was told to let go of his exuberant lifestyle, but he did not listen and paid the price.
How the mighty have fallen. It's no secret that Vinod Kambli, once touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, got consumed by glamour and eventually threw his life and career away. When he recently emerged as part of the unveiling of the Ramakant Achrekar memorial in Mumbai, his visuals created a sense of panic among the public. The way he reached out to his childhood buddy Sachin Tendulkar, clutched his hand, and refused to let go, things looked bad, with the public wishing for his speedy recovery.
Eventually, Kambli was diagnosed with several health issues, including a urinary infection. Looking at his conditions, India's 1983 World Cup-winning squad reached out to him, offering to lend support for his rehab. Kambli accepted it but landed in trouble soon after, when he had to be hospitalised. Thankfully, with proper treatment in Thane's Akruti Hospital, Kambli was discharged. And as he stays away from the news, one can only wish he's doing healthier and better.
To think that all of this could have been avoided. Fame in Indian cricket is a real thing. Those who can handle it go a long way, and those who can't often go down the same road as Kambli. Look at Prithvi Shaw. Once earmarked to become the next Tendulkar, Shaw, after scoring a Test century on debut, has slid down in the pecking order, with a return seemingly unlikely.
Tales of Kambli and his irresistible urges are nothing new. A lot of the Indian and Mumbai players who played with him have tales to narrate. However, a new story has emerged, involving Yograj Singh. The former India pacer revealed that when Kambli was at his all-time high, he had warned the left-handed batter to stay grounded. But Kambli had other plans in mind, and paid the price for ignoring one of the many advice he received.
"I told Vinod Kambli once. Stop these parties, smoking cigarettes, going with girls. I said stop it. This way you will be finished. You will be crying. I spoke to him personally, at the top of his voice. But then he said, 'This is glamour. I am the king.' That's why I say. You are not bigger than the game," Yograj said while speaking to InsideSport.
Vinod Kambli's rampant rise and fall
As he was coming up through the ranks, Kambli was making as much noise as Tendulkar, if not more. If some insiders of Mumbai cricket back in the day are to be believed, Kambli was more talented than Tendulkar. But it all boiled down to how the two cricketers handled and balanced life outside and inside the cricket field. As Tendulkar became the God of cricket, India's greatest batter of all time and a legend, compared to only the one and only Donald Bradman and the great Brian Lara, Kambli became a forgotten chapter.
What makes this fall even sadder is the tremendous promise he showed at the start of his career. Making his debut in 1993 against England, Kambli struck his maiden half-century in the second Test in Chennai. But what followed was utter madness. In the next two Tests, Kambli gave nightmares to the English bowlers, pummelling 224 at his home ground of the Wankhede Stadium and following it up with another double-century – a knock of 227 – at Delhi's Arun Jaitly Stadium (formerly Feroz Shah Kotla).
He did not stop there. Kambli hammered consecutive centuries against Sri Lanka in Colombo, at one stage eclipsing the legendary Bradman's average of 99.94. Kambli had breached the 100-average mark with some incredible batting, and although he scored a couple of more half-centuries to decorate his Test career even further, it's all there was.
Between 1993 and the year 2000, when Kambli played his final match for India, he made nine comebacks, the most by any player. In between, his relationship with Tendulkar also turned sour, when he said something he later admitted he shouldn't have during an Indian TV reality show. The two went years without speaking before burying the hatchet. Kambli was given a gig at the Tendulkar Middlesex Global Academy, but that didn't materialise for too long. In 2022, Kambli, in an interview with Mid-Day, said that he is struggling to make ends meet. Three years later, not much has changed. But at least, Kambli is making a conscious effort to get back on his feet, putting an end to all his bad habits.
