Bengal allrounder critically injured in car accident
Avik Chowdhury has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital where he is under ventilation
Cricinfo staff
19-Oct-2009
Avik Chowdhury raises the bat after reaching his century against ITC • ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Bengal allrounder Avik Chowdhury has been put on a ventilator at an intensive care unit in Kolkata, after being critically injured in a car accident on Sunday evening. The accident happened when the car Chowdhury was travelling in, along with four of his friends, rammed into a median divider on Eastern Metropolitan Bypass near Ruby Hospital.
Chowdhury, 24, who is part of the Bengal squad for the East Zone T20 meet in Dhanbad, was visited by Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya and former India captain Sourav Ganguly. The Bengal team's departure for Dhanbad has now been postponed by a day because of the accident and they will now be leaving on Tuesday.
"His [Chowdhury's] condition is very critical. He has injuries to the abdomen, diaphragm and the spinal cord with fractures in three vertebrae," said SB Purakayastha, CEO of Ruby Hospital. "His entire lower half has been paralysed. Until his condition is stable, we cannot operate upon him."
An employee of the income tax department, Chowdhury took part in the practice match at Eden Gardens in the morning, scoring 15 off eight balls and taking a wicket. He has also led Bengal at the junior level and plays for Kalighat in the local circuit. He made his Ranji debut last season and was also part of the preliminary Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
He has seven first-class matches and 13 List A matches, and most recently turned out for Indian Revenue in the BCCI Corporate Trophy last month, where he scored an unbeaten 110 against ITC in Mohali.