Four Australian cricketers fall ill in India; one hospitalized

Four members of the touring Australia ‘A’ cricket team have fallen ill in India, with one player requiring hospitalization. According to India Today, team captain Jack Edwards and three other players were affected by a stomach infection.

Fast bowler Henry Thornton suffered the most severe symptoms and was admitted to Regency Hospital in Kanpur after his condition worsened. The remaining three players were treated and later discharged after medical examinations.

Hindustan Times reported that Thornton remained in the hospital for two days. Citing team sources, India Today said the illness may have been caused by contaminated food at the team’s hotel, though neither the hospital nor team management has confirmed this officially.

The team’s local manager said that initially, all four players were taken to the hospital. Once their test results came back normal, three returned to the hotel, while Thornton remained under observation for a serious infection. He was later released after showing improvement.

As a precaution, the Australia team management has revised the players’ diet plan. Although training sessions were slightly disrupted, officials emphasized that player health remains the top priority.

Team sources confirmed that Australia ‘A’ medical staff are closely monitoring the situation and have advised players to avoid local food and beverages. Doctors at the hospital said Thornton’s condition is now stable, but his return to play will depend on further medical evaluation.

Meanwhile, India’s Food Department collected samples from the hotel kitchen for testing but found no contamination or irregularities. Hotel authorities also denied any link between their food and the illness, attributing it instead to changes in weather conditions.

Commenting on the incident, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla said, “The hotel is one of the best in Kanpur. If food was the cause, more players would have fallen sick. The matter needs further investigation.”

The ongoing three-match ODI series between India ‘A’ and Australia ‘A’ is currently level at 1–1, with the final match set to take place today. Earlier, India ‘A’ won the two-match Test series.