“Sometimes, when he steps out of his house, he tends to ask for, and people tend to offer him a smoke. They think that they are offering a smoke to a former India cricket star. However, smoking is extremely harmful for him, particularly for his brain,” Couto added.There have been some positive signs as well. “10 days back, he acted in an advert- after a long, long time- for Dinshaw’s ice-cream. It was shot at the Mahim Juvenile Cricket Ground Shivaji Park. They gave him a role which suited him. I, along with his brother Ricky and former cricketer Viram Dayal visited Kambli at his residence in Jewel Cooperative Society in Bandra last week,” Couto said. “He seemed to be in decent health. He and his family were in good spirits. Kambli now uses a stick to walk around. His son (Cristiano) wants to become a cricketer. I requested Jatin Paranjape to enroll him at his cricket academy, and he immediately agreed. Of course, Jatin won’t charge Kambli’s son anything.”Kambli had sparked concern during a public appearance in December 2024, where he appeared unsteady alongside Sachin Tendulkar. Cricket greats like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev later extended support for his rehabilitation.Despite efforts, including a proposed rehab plan backed by members of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, long-term recovery remains a challenge.