The England Cricket Board had decided to honour the efforts of the front-line healthcare workers who are involved in the fight to combat Covid-19. The England cricket team who are taking on West Indies in the Southampton Test wore jerseys with names of the health workers as international cricket resumed at the Aegas Oval after a long break of 117 days.

One of the doctors nominated in the ‘Raise The Bat’ campaign was Dr. Vikas Kumar. He works at the critical care unit of a National Health Service (NHS) Trust hospital at Darlington in Durham.

England captain Ben Stokes wore the 35-year-old Indian doctor Kumar’s name on his jersey. So what was Kumar’s reaction when he saw England’s World Cup hero wearing a jersey with his name on the back of it?

“It was overwhelming to see Stokes and others putting that message out. It’s been very difficult for all of us. NHS staff have made a lot of sacrifices. This recognition is for the entire medical fraternity, including my doctor friends in India,” said Kumar as quoted by Indian Express.

Kumar graduated from Delhi University and completed his post-graduate diploma in anesthesia from Maulana Azad Medical College. He moved to England in 2019 along with his wife and two-year-old son. Kumar said that he played cricket at his college but with all my family members into studies, he also decided to become a doctor like his brothers.