KL Rahul's Former Teammate Dies Of Heart Attack

SL Akshay - (Source: ScreenGrab/X.com)

In a shocking development, KL Rahul’s former Bengaluru teammate, SL Akshay, breathed his last on Sunday, May 24. The 39-year-old was playing a division match in Bengaluru when he complained of chest pain and later passed away due to a heart attack.

Notably, Akshay was playing third division cricket at a ground in KR Puram. During the afternoon match, he complained of chest pain, and on his way to the hospital, the former Karnatarka player passed away and was declared dead upon arriving at the hospital.

Karnataka Cricket Association Pays Condolence

“Akshay represented Karnataka with distinction at the first-class level and, even beyond his playing career, continued to serve the game with unwavering passion and dedication,” Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) said in a statement.

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As a junior-level coach, he played a pivotal role in nurturing and mentoring young cricketers, leaving an enduring impact on the development of cricketing talent in the State,” it added.

Who Was SL Akshay? KL Rahul’s former Karnataka Teammate

Born on April 30, 1987, SL Akshay made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2011-12. During that time, he played alongside the likes of KL Rahul, Robin Utthapa, and Vinay Kumar. Akshay struggled to stay at the top and play in the first division for a long time.

During his short career, the right-arm seamer picked up 18 wickets in 10 First-Class innings. Further, in his List A career, SL Akshay took 6 wickets. 8 wickets in his T20 career. Hence, over the years, Askay fell out of the scheme of things and was forced to demote himself and play the 2nd and 3rd division leagues.

Even on Sunday, May 24, the seamer was playing in a third-division league when the unfortunate incident occurred.

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Rise Of Heart-Related Issues In Cricketers At Younger Age

It is not the first time that a cricketer has lost his life on the field because of heart attack. These days heart attack at a younger age is becoming a comman phenomenon. It is normal for everyone to expect an athlete to stay fit and hearing such news sends a shockwave down the spine, but it is turning into a harsh reality.

Earlier, in February, a 40-year-old cricketer from Maharashtra, Pravin Baban Pawar, lost his life due to a massive heart attack while playing cricket. Also, international cricketer, Tamim Iqbal too suffered a massive heart attack during Bangladesh Premier League in 2025.

Bangladesh's legendary batter Tamim Iqbal suffered a heart attack on March 24, 2025 during the Dhaka Premier League encounter between Mohammedan Sporting Club and Shinepukur Cricket Club. Tamim Iqbal was rushed to a hospital after experiencing chest pain while fielding in the high-voltage encounter. 

Eventually, the cricketer recovered, but it was all due to Bangladesh Cricket Board's timely help which is not available in local cricket.