Sangwan seeks reimbursement for surgery, DDCA agrees to pay half

Discontent is brewing in Delhi cricket again. This time it's over the reimbursement claimed by Pradeep Sangwan for a spinal surgery he had undergone in London in June last year. Sangwan has been told by DDCA's administration, which currently operates under the supervision of High Court-appointed Justice Vikramjit Sen, that he is not entitled to the entire cost of the surgery.

According to Sangwan, the surgery cost him around Rs 22 lakh. The DDCA, after being persuaded by the Indian cricket board (BCCI), decided to pay him just Rs 10 lakh in June but refused to settle the rest of the sum. "They were not willing to pay a single penny. But when BCCI GM (game development) Ratnakar Shetty wrote to them, they agreed to give me half the amount. Now and I've been told that I am not entitled to get the rest of the amount," Sangwan told TOI.

On his return to the team after the surgery, Sangwan was named the captain for the last two tournaments Delhi played this season. Justice Sen said Sangwan needs to make a strong case to claim the amount. "If he thinks he is entitled, let him come to us with a good representation. We can't bend rules for him. If we feel he is entitled to get the entire amount, he will get it," Justice Sen said.

Sangwan is getting restless because he says he does not have direct access to Justice Sen. "Justice Sen is not available. His daughter Mrinalini looks after the operations in DDCA and it is only after Shetty's letter that she agreed to pay half the amount. Senior players like Ishant Sharma and Gautam Gambhir also put in a word for me. But that has been ignored. Even the cricket affairs committee pitched for me," Sangwan said.

The key point here is that that BCCI has no written rule related to such cases. "Generally, state associations take care of their players. BCCI reimburses the amount claimed through insurance. In Sangwan's case, the injury was not reported at the time he experienced discomfort and stiffness in his lower back, and the insurance company declined to pay any amount," a top BCCI official told TOI. "The current DDCA administration is unwilling to budge despite BCCI trying to make them understand the situation."

(TNN)