Former Delhi all-rounder Sanjay Dobal, passed away on Monday morning due to complications arising from COVID-19 infection. He was 52.
A student of coach Tarak Sinha at the Sonnet Club, Dobal was employed with Air India and was known for his helpful nature.
“He was always there for any cricketer travelling out of Delhi. A very jovial man, he went out of the way to help cricketers travel in comfort,” said long-time associate and former Delhi captain K. P. Bhaskar.
Dobal was a decent cricketer at the local level. “He was my trusted performer. I remember he came to me as a teenager and showed immense talent. A hard-hitting middle-order batsman and an effective off-spinner, he would win matches on his own,” recalled Sinha.
For Delhi batsman Mithin Manhas, the friendship with Dobal was long. “He started off as a player and later became a good coach at Air India. He was known for his fitness. At his academy (at Dwarka) he insisted on his trainees concentrating on fitness before cricket skills,” remembered Manhas.
According to Manhas, the late detection of COVID-19 symptoms hurt Dobal. “He was treated at different hospitals before it was discovered he had been infected by the dreaded Virus. We organized plasma (treatment) for him on Sunday evening but he gave up this morning,” said a dejected Manhas.
Dobal is survived by his wife and two sons – Siddhant, a Ranji Trophy player for Rajasthan, and Ekansh an Under-23 player for Delhi.