Indian-Irish all-rounder Simi Singh battling for life, to undergo liver transplant in Gurgaon

Indian-born Irish all-rounder Simranjit Singh, popularly known as Simi Singh, is reportedly battling for his life after suffering acute liver failure. According to The Times of India, he's currently waiting for a crucial liver transplant in the ICU of Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon.

Simi's father Parvinder Singh said in the report that he developed a "strange" fever a few months ago. However, check-ups in Ireland were inconclusive, and the doctors refused to prescribe medication because they couldn't find an underlying cause.

"The process was getting delayed and Simi's health was deteriorating, so we decided to get him treated in India for better medical attention," Parvinder told the newspaper. "Simi flew to Mohali in late June, and after a few consultations with various physicians his treatment started in PGI, Chandigarh in the beginning of July. There the line of treatment was taken for TB (tuberculosis) and antibiotics were given to him. Later, results came out that he didn't have TB."

"As his fever didn't subside, we took him to a private hospital in Mohali for a second opinion. There, we were told that Simi didn't have TB, but the course of the medicines - six weeks - had to be completed. Along with the TB medicines, steroids were also given to him. After that, his fever started increasing again and he developed acute jaundice. In the last week of August, we took him back to PGI where he was admitted to the ICU."

"But his health kept deteriorating and the PGI physicians detected that he had developed acute liver failure. They advised us to take Simi to Medanta, Gurugram, because there was a high probability of him slipping into coma after which a transplant wouldn't be possible. We came to Medanta on September 3."

Simi was born in Mohali and played age-group cricket in Punjab before moving to Ireland in 2005 to pursue hotel management. But the following year, he joined the Malahide Cricket Club in Dublin as a professional cricketer.

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Transplant to be performed soon: Simi Singh's family member

Simi's wife Agamdeep Kaur, who works in Dublin, has decided to give a part of her liver for the transplant. The family is hopeful of a positive result.

"Thankfully, Simi's blood group is AB+ which means he is a universal receiver. The doctors say that matching with his wife won't be a problem. The transplant is likely to be performed very soon, and the doctors are positive that the outcome will be in Simi's favour and will give him a new lease of life," a close family member told ToI in the report.

Simi made his Ireland debut in 2017 and has played 35 ODI and 53 T20Is for the side.