Bengal player hospitalised after injury in club game

Bengal batsman Writam Porel was hospitalised on Friday after being hit behind his left ear while fielding at a close-in position in a club match between East Bengal and Bhowanipore.

Porel, 26, was fielding at forward short leg in the final of the AN Ghosh Trophy, a three-day league tournament organised by the Cricket Association of Bengal, when he turned to protect himself against a pull shot played by Bhowanipore batsman Prinan Datta. Porel said he was hit under the left ear despite wearing a helmet.

The incident brought back memories of the death of former Bengal Under-19 captain Ankit Keshri, who coincidentally suffered the fatal accident while playing for East Bengal against the same opponents, Bhowanipore, in April. Keshri collided with a team-mate while fielding as a substitute and later suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital a few days later. Porel, incidentally, was fielding at point when Keshri collided with the bowler, Sourav Mondal.

"It was paining but I was conscious," Porel told ESPNcricinfo. "Fortunately we were playing at the Eden Gardens so there was an ambulance." Porel was taken to the nearby Nightingale Hospital where Keshri had passed away. According to Porel, there is swelling and stiffness behind his left ear and the doctors have told him the results of the MRI scan would be revealed by Saturday afternoon.

Porel, who has played 10 first-class matches for Bengal between 2010 and 2012, admitted the Keshri incident immediately crossed his mind after he was hit on Friday. "I was scared because Ankit was my team-mate, but it is all right. I'm fine. The doctors have told me there might be a partial tear but nothing about any injury to my brain," he said.