Indian women cricketer, Veda Krishnamurthy, lost her sister on Wednesday night, two weeks after losing her mother.
The 45-year-old Vatsala Shivakumar last breathed in a hospital in Chikmagalur after testing positive for the dreaded coronavirus later in April.
Krishnamurthy, Indian all-rounder who had represented the nation in 48 ODIs and 76 T20Is, has been helping others through social media by amplifying their requests for aids, tested negative for the virus.
On 24 April, Krishnamurthy had tweeted about the demise of her mother, Cheluvamaba Devi, while informing that her sister was also battling for life.
“Appreciate all the messages I have received about the loss of my Amma. As you can imagine my family is lost without her. We now pray for my sister. I have tested negative & appreciate if you can respect our privacy. My thoughts & prayers go out to those going through the same!” Veda had tweeted.
Appreciate all the messages I have received about the loss of my Amma. As you can imagine my family is lost without her. We now pray for my sister. I have tested negative & appreciate if you can respect our privacy. My thoughts & prayers go out to those going through the same!!
— Veda Krishnamurthy (@vedakmurthy08) April 24, 2021
On Thursday, the 28-year-old informed fans via Twitter about the sad departure of her sister.
“It is with great sadness that last night my family had to say goodbye to my Akka, my family, my world has been rocked to its core.
Appreciate all the messages and prayers . My thoughts with everyone going through these devastating times. Hold your loved ones tight and stay safe.”
It is with great sadness that last night my family had to say goodbye to My Akka My family, my world has been rocked to its core. Appreciate all the messages and prayers . My thoughts with everyone going through these devastating times. Hold your loved ones tight and stay safe 🙏
— Veda Krishnamurthy (@vedakmurthy08) May 6, 2021
Reema Malhotra, a former Indian women cricketer, has been close to Veda’s family for a long time. They have also represented the Railways side in the domestic league for several seasons.
In a statement to Cricinfo, she said, “With the help of the hospital staff, Veda’s sister had even begun FaceTiming with Veda and some of her other near and dear ones earlier this week. It is shocking to learn that after losing aunty, we couldn’t save didi either. I can only request everyone to give Veda and her family the time and privacy they need to bear this immense loss.”
India is currently battling the second wave of COVID-19, with several other cricketers and their families testing positive. The Indian Premier League (IPL) was also suspended earlier this month because of the deadly virus.
