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Cricket is a good aerobic sport. As a batsman you always have to be on your toes, sneaking those singles and converting those 2 into 3s. But as when a cricketer retires, the work ethic goes down the hill. While most of the heart illnesses are hereditary and genes play a significant role, lipoprotein(a), some of the cricketers of 90s generation have suffered from heart ailment and have gone through the stunt placement surgery.
Here is the list:
1) Saurav Ganguly:– The latest in the list is Prince of Kolkata who underwent two angioplasty surgeries to correct 3 blocked arteries. The former BCCI president is doing great after the operation and have a good presence in the cricket as of present.
2)Kapil Dev:- India’s first genuine all rounder and the man behind India’s first world cup victory in 1983, Kapil Dev also had to go through emergency coronary angioplasty in October 2020 after suffering a suspected heart attack. As of 2025, he is doing just fine.
3)Chris Cairns:- Yet another allrounder in the list, the famous Chris Cairns from New Zealand Chris Cairns underwent emergency heart surgery in August 2021 for an aortic dissection, a tear in the body’s main artery. He spent 147 days in the hospital. He is currently aged 55 years.
4)Tamim Iqbal:- A surprising addition to the list and quite young for heart related ailment, Tamim Iqbal In March 2025, suffered a heart attack during a match and underwent emergency angioplasty to insert a stent to clear a blockage in one of his arteries. He was discharged from the hospital four days after the procedure and is currently recovering at home, under ongoing medical observation.
5)Yash Dhull :- Another surprising addition to the list is former Delhi Team Captain Yash Dhull who found out he has been living with a hole in his heart. He underwent surgery last year and made a good comeback in this year DPL season.
A year after surgery to repair a hole in his heart, Yash Dhull has had a fruitful DPL campaign and is living in the moment as he continues his comeback 🗣️[ESPNcricinfo] pic.twitter.com/DJPO2RPvPH
— Kanak Kumari (@KanakKu64995524) August 25, 2025
6) James Taylor :- James Taylor, the former England cricketer, was forced to retire in 2016 at age 26 due to a diagnosis of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). ARVC is a rare, inherited heart condition where heart muscle in the right ventricle is replaced by fatty and fibrous tissue, leading to stress on the heart and a risk of sudden cardiac arrest. He was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator for his irregular heartbeat and no longer engages in strenuous physical activity.
There are also other cricketers like Abid Ali (age 33), and former Indian cricketer Farokh engineer who also underwent heart surgery.
