Jharkhand cricketer Santosh Lal dies aged 29

Jharkhand cricketer Santosh Lal, known as the man who taught MS Dhoni how to play the helicopter shot, has died aged 29 of pancreatitis. He was a middle-order batsman and a medium-pacer who played eight first-class matches.

Lal was a childhood friend of MS Dhoni and played alongside the Indian captain for Bihar and Jharkhand in a seven-year career that ended in 2010. He had been moved to Delhi for treatment earlier this week, after first being admitted to a Ranchi hospital last week due to stomach pain. Lal is survived by his parents, wife and a three-year-old daughter.