Former India pacer Yograj Singh has revealed a candid conversation he once had with Vinod Kambli, a once-celebrated cricketer whose career spiralled into obscurity due to personal choices.

"I told Vinod Kambli once, these parties, smoking cigarettes, going to girls, stop it. Otherwise, you will be finished. You will be crying," Yograj said in an interview with InsideSport. "I spoke to him at the top of my voice. I spoke to him personally, but then he said, ‘Sir, apka time chala gaya (your time has passed). He used to think, ‘I’m the king. ’ You are not bigger than the game."

These striking remarks have gained renewed attention in light of Kambli’s recent health problem, which stirred public concern after he appeared visibly frail at the unveiling of the Ramakant Achrekar memorial in Mumbai. His emotional interaction with childhood friend Sachin Tendulkar, clutching his hand and refusing to let go, set off alarm bells, prompting many to fear for his well-being.

Kambli was soon diagnosed with multiple health issues, including brain clots and severe urinary infection, as per reports, leading to a brief hospitalisation at Akruti Hospital in Thane. He has since been discharged and is said to be recuperating away from the public eye.

The episode marked another chapter in the tragic decline of a cricketer once heralded as the next big thing in Indian cricket. Kambli’s talent was undeniable. Two Test double centuries and an average above 54 in the format attest to that. But as Yograj and many of his former teammates have implied, it was his inability to stay grounded that derailed what could have been a legendary career.