Madhya Pradesh cricketer Anand Rajan’s father is among many Indians currently stranded in Iran, a country whose death toll due to the coronavirus pandemic in only behind Italy and China. And Rajan, who represented the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Deccan Chargers in 2011 and was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad in 2013 has been left worried about the whereabouts of his father. The 32-year-old, who was born in Maharashtra, but played for Madhya Pradesh in the Indian domestic circuit, prays and hopes that the Indian government can rescue his father and the many Indians currently stranded in Iran, like they rescued 263 from Rome, Italy. Coronavirus Pandemic: Time to Be Human, Not Hindu & Muslim, Says Shoaib Akhtar.

“As Indian government has brought back many Indians from Iran, I am hoping father comes back too,” Rajan was quoted telling the Indian Express. But the travel restrictions imposed by the Indian & Iranian governments have complicated things. “My father told me that the embassy will only clear travel of those people whose medical examination they conduct by themselves. I was told that the embassy doesn’t have the necessary medical kit to deal with this, so time is running out. With no international flights allowed for next one week, we don’t know what will happen,” Rajan added in his discussion with the national daily.

Anand Rajan Tweets to Indian Embassy in Iran

Both India and Iran have imposed restrictions on international travel. The Indian government passed an advisory to suspend all visas from midnight March 13 to April 15 with the government also declaring that they will rescue Indian citizens from foreign lands. But the restrictions have not only made things complicated for Rajan’s father to travel back to India but also kept the family worried. “We want him back. At least he will be with us.”

Anand Rajan with MS Dhoni

Rajan, who represented Madhya Pradesh in 40 first-class games between 2005 and 2013, also tweeted to the Iranian embassy seeking their help in his father’s return to his homeland. But is yet to get a response. The embassy had promised to contact the father but no one had called him still now, the former SRH cricketer said. “They said they will get in touch with my father but nobody got in touch till Saturday. At the moment he is fine and is staying inside his house in Qazvin which is some two hours’ drive from Tehran. Back at home here there is some fear in our family.”

Over 1,556 people have died in Iran after getting diagnosed with the pandemic while 20,610 people were affected by COVI-19 till Saturday, said a release. The death toll has made Iran the hardest-hit nation after Italy and China, both of who have witnessed deaths over 3000. Rajan’s father, who has been in Iran for the last eight years, is however yet to show any symptom and is fine for now.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2020 11:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).