Deaths over cricket matches have become eerily common in India. (Photo is representative, source: Getty)

In a tragic and horrifying incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, Aariz Kamal, an 11-year-old boy, lost his life after a dispute over a no-ball with another boy of the same age during a cricket match. The incident happened in the Ekta Park locality of KDA, Jajmau.

The two boys were playing with other children in the locality when the dispute happened. According to local reports, it started with name-calling but soon turned into punches on the chest and neck.

Aariz fell unconscious and was taken to his mother, who then rushed him to a private hospital in Lal Bangla. The doctors declared him dead. Despite multiple requests from the police, Aariz’s family opted against conducting a post-mortem and didn’t even file a report.

The class six student lived with his mother Sariya Kamal at his maternal grandmother’s house in Ekta Park and studied in a nearby school. His father had died a few years ago due to cancer.

Jajmau Crime Inspector Javed Khan and MLA Mohammad Hasan Rumi reached the spot after the incident. The family is now preparing for the boy’s last rites.

Not the first cricket mishap in Kanpur

This was the second such horrific incident in recent times in Kanpur. In June 2023, a 15-year-old was beaten to death after a dispute.

Dinesh Kumar Shukla, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, had told The Indian Express at the time:

“There was a fight during the game… The whole incident happened on the playground. The 18-year-old was batting and played a cut shot. The boy was fielding at point. He picked up the ball and threw it at a fast pace towards the stumps in a bid to run out the batter.”

“The 18-year-old thought that the fast-paced throw was intended to hit him and got angry. Then, he along with his brother beat up the boy and then held his neck with pressure, which led to the boy’s demise,” the Assistant Commissioner added.

Deaths of teenagers during cricket matches have become eerily common in India. Such reports have come from all parts of the country in 2024.