TWO WEEKS AFTER MOTHER, VEDA LOSES HER SISTER VATSALA TO COVID-19
CHANDIGARH: India batter Veda Krishnamurthy’s sister died of Covid-19 two weeks after the virus claimed the player’s mother. On Wednesday, Krishnamurthy’s elder sister Vatsala Shivakumar, 45, died at a private hospital in Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka. Shivakumar had been shifted from the ICU to a general ward as her condition had improved but she died hours later. She is survived by son, father, two sisters and a brother. Her husband had died a few years ago.
Krishnamurthy’s family had caught the virus last month though she had tested negative, the player said on social media.
The Bengaluru-based cricketer, who has represented India in 48 ODIs and 76 T20s, tweeted about her mother Cheluvamba Devi ‘s death on April 24 and had said her sister’s condition was critical. Krishnamurthy, who is the youngest of four siblings, is at home in Bengaluru.
A middle-order batter, Krishnamurthy made her international debut as an 18-year-old in 2011 against England. Known to be an impactful finisher and a good fielder, Krishnamurthy has been a regular in the India ODI and T20 squads. She was part of the team that finished runners-up in the 2017 Women’s World Cup. Krishnamurthy was dropped from the ODI and T20 teams for the home series against South Africa last month to make way for new comers.
“Veda was very close to her sisters and mother. She would always focus on cricket and other things were taken care of by her sisters and father. It is very unfortunate that a double tragedy has hit her family. May god give her strength to bear twin loss,” said coach Sukhwinder Bawa who has trained Krishnamurthy. Krishnamurthy is the third India cricketer to play in the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) after Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. She played for Hobart Hurricanes in WBBL and for Velocity in the Women’s T20 Challenge. She represented Karnataka in the women’s one-day tournament last month.