COVID-19: Shooter Thakur to auction his cricket kit to raise money

Shooter Shivam Thakur on Monday announced he would auction his old cricket kit and donate all the proceeds to the PM CARES Fund to help the country in its fight against coronavirus.

The shooter has represented India in two international championships in Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

"I wanted to become a cricket player. It was my dream but I suffered damage in my ligament so I was not able to follow my dream. At that time, Hardik Pandya had gifted me his cricket pad. I have played professional cricket," Thakur told ANI.

"But today, I have decided that all the cricket kit I have. I will be auctioning that whatever money I receive through that, I will be donating it to the PM CARES Fund. I have decided to auction things which belong to my biggest dream. I will be thankful to those who help me in this gesture," he said.

Since the establishment of the PM CARES Fund by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several sportspersons have come forward to contribute to help the country combat COVID-19.

With a highest-ever spike of 5,242 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, India's coronavirus tally rose to 96,169, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.