Gurugram: Indian-born all-rounder Simi Singh, who has played 35 ODIs and 53 T20Is for Ireland, is currently battling acute liver failure in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in Gurugram. The cricketer is awaiting a liver transplant, according to a report by The Times of India.
Simi Singh, originally from Mohali, had an early cricketing career representing Punjab in U-14 and U-17 divisions but did not make it to the U-19 squad. He moved to Ireland in 2006 to study hotel management and became a professional cricketer with Dublin's Malahide Cricket Club. He later went on to become one of Ireland's leading cricketers, with 39 ODI and 44 T20I wickets. In 2021, he also scored an ODI century against South Africa.
Parvinder Singh, Simi's father-in-law, revealed the details of his deteriorating health. "Around five-six months ago, Simi developed an unusual fever while he was in Dublin, Ireland. Despite several check-ups, doctors couldn't find the underlying cause and refrained from starting any treatment," Parvinder told The Times of India.
As Simi's condition worsened, the family decided to bring him to India for better medical attention. "In late June, he flew to Mohali and began treatment at PGI, Chandigarh, in early July, where doctors initially suspected tuberculosis. He was put on a TB treatment regimen, but later tests showed he was not TB positive," Parvinder said.
Despite the treatment, Simi's fever persisted. The family sought a second opinion from a private hospital in Mohali, where doctors confirmed he did not have tuberculosis but advised him to complete the six-week medication course. Simi was also given steroids, which led to further complications, including severe jaundice.
In the last week of August, Simi was readmitted to PGI Chandigarh, where doctors diagnosed him with severe liver failure. Fearing that he might slip into a coma, which would prevent the possibility of a liver transplant, the doctors recommended transferring him to Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. The family moved him there on September 3.
According to the report, Simi is now awaiting a liver transplant, with his wife, Agamdeep Kaur, having agreed to donate a portion of her liver.
Simi Singh's family and the cricketing community are hopeful for a successful transplant and recovery as he continues to receive medical care.
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Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.