A 52-year-old named Jayesh Sawala died while fielding during a cricket game at the Dadkar Maidan in Matunga after a ball hit his head from an adjacent wicket on Monday.

Sawala was reportedly fielding with his back facing a batter playing another game on an adjacent wicket when the ball struck him behind his ear. The incident happened during the Kutchhi Visa Oswal Vikas Legend Cup, a T20 tournament, organised for aged 50 and above.

Sawala was rushed to the Lion Tarachand Hospital but couldn’t be saved. The medical in charge at the hospital declared the 52-year-old dead on examination. After suspecting no foul play in Sawala’s death, the police handed over his body to his kith and kin and the former was laid to rest on Tuesday afternoon.

Notably, Mumbai is known for Maidans (grounds) that hold multiple games simultaneously due to a dearth of playing areas. Several Mumbai cricketers who have represented India at the international level played at these maidans across the city. 

Significantly, this is not the first incident of a player dying after being struck by a ball during a cricket game. Australia’s Phil Hughes also suffered the same fate after he missed a hook while facing Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield clash between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in November 2014.

Hughes fell unconsciously on the ground after being struck by a bouncer and was airlifted to a hospital in Sydney after he suffered a cerebral haemorrhage. 

Cricket Australia (CA), the apex cricket governing body in the country, took cognizance of the matter and made it mandatory for every Aussie player playing international and domestic cricket to wear protective neck guards in October last year.

Players who resist wearing the same will have to face sanctions as per the new rules and regulations introduced by CA.