Mumbai: Dr Vipul Chavda, former Mumbai Ranji Trophy team physiotherapist (2001- 2006), is one of the victims of the earthquake that hit Nepal last week. The 39-year-old’s body (wrapped in plastic) was brought to India on Monday.
Chavda, along with Dr Harshada and friends were on a trek in the Langtang valley when the calamity struck. His other friends survived the disaster but the man who worked closely with many Indian cricketers, including Sachin Tendulkar, could not survive the rock avalanche.
Chavda’s face was smashed in the rocky deluge and only a portion of it was visible during his last rites here at Versova crematorium.
Though no cricketer was seen at the funeral, Tendulkar took to social media to pay respect to his physiotherapist and pen another heartwarming story.
The iconic cricketer saluted the efforts of a local guide, Suraj Paudyal, and the Indian Air Force for rescuing Dr Harshada along with thousand others.
“Suraj, a stranger to Harshada till she met him in Nepal, risked his family's and his own safety in Kathmandu looking after Harshada till she was flown out of Kathmandu. In fact, Harshada was one among the thousands rescued by the relentless and tireless efforts of the Indian Air Force,” wrote Tendulkar on his Facebook page.
