Pat Cummins, an Australian fast bowler who plays for the Kolkata Knight Riders, announced on Monday that he will donate $50,000 to the PM Cares Fund to assist India’s battle against Covid-19. Cummins encouraged fellow Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 stars to lend a hand.
Pat Cummins made the donation to the PM Cares Fund, primarily to buy oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals, according to a tweet on social media.
Cummins, who was acquired by KKR in 2020 for Rs 15.5 crore, has been a key member of the two-time champion team. In IPL 2021, the Australian fast bowler has appeared in all five of KKR’s matches.
”India is a country I have come to love dearly over the years and the people here are one of the warmest and kindest I have met. To know so many are suffering so much this time saddens me greatly,” Cummins.
“There has been quite a bit of discussion over here whether it is appropriate for IPL to continue while Covid-19 infection rates remain high. I am advised that the Indian Government is of the view that playing the IPL while the population is in lockdown provides a few hours of joy and respite each day at an otherwise difficult time for the country,” he added.
“As players, we are privileged to have a platform that allows us to reach millions of people that we can use for good. With that in mind, I have made a contribution to the ‘PM Cares Fund’, specifically to purchase oxygen supplies for India’s hospitals.
“I encourage my fellow IPL players – and anyone around else in the world who has been touched by India’s passion and generosity – to contribute. I will kick it off with $50,000.”
For the fifth day in a row, India’s coronavirus caseload and death toll broke new highs, with over 3.52 lakh Covid-19 cases and 2,812 deaths in a single day.
Hospitals said they were in danger as a result of the surge in Covid-19 positive admissions, with most being overcrowded and running out of medical oxygen to handle critical patients.
