In a tragic incident, a 14-year-old girl in Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, died of a heart attack on Sunday, during the Champions Trophy final. According to eyewitnesses, Priyanshi Pandey, daughter of advocate Ajay Pandey, was watching the match with her family, enthusiastically cheering for Team India. Initial reports suggested that when Virat Kohli was dismissed for a single run, Priyanshi was overwhelmed with shock and emotion, which led to her fainting and eventually succumbing to a heart attack.
Doctors confirmed that the cause of death was a heart attack, leaving the family and community in a state of shock and grief. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Priyanshi’s father and neighbours revealed the truth behind the incident, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding her untimely death.
Although her family members were not present at the time, a neighbour provided a detailed account of the incident. Priyanshi’s father, Ajay Pandey, also shared his version of events over the phone.
According to Mr Pandey, he had stepped out to the market after watching the first innings of the match. As the second innings commenced, his daughter joined the rest of the family in watching the game. Suddenly, Priyanshi fainted and collapsed. Family members immediately alerted Mr Pandey, who rushed back home and took his daughter to the hospital. Despite prompt medical attention, Priyanshi was declared dead upon arrival.
However, Priyanshi’s father chose not to conduct a post-mortem examination. Instead, he brought her remains home and performed the last rites. He also disputed the notion that his daughter’s death was linked to her emotional response to the cricket match. In his opinion, there is no correlation between the match and his daughter’s sudden death.
Amit Chandra, a neighbour who witnessed the incident, corroborated Ajay Pandey’s account. Mr Chandra revealed that he was outside Priyanshi’s house when the incident occurred and had a clear view of the events unfolding. He said that when Priyanshi suffered a heart attack, the Indian cricket team was not experiencing a rough patch. Notably, at the time of the incident, the Indian team had not lost any wickets, and Virat Kohli had not yet begun his innings.
