You've to believe you can fight it: cancer survivor Arun Lal on COVID-19

Having fought cancer four years ago, former India batsman and Bengal coach Arun Lal knows a thing or two about conquering a dreadful disease and as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels both immunity and optimism need to be kept high.

The former player was detected with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare type of salivary glands cancer, but he overcame the disease and gained abundant hope in the process.

"It's a disease after all. You have to believe that you can fight it. You have no other choice. You have to be prepared for the worst. Hope for the best," Lal, under whom Bengal made their first Ranji final after 13 years this season, told PTI in an interaction.

"You have to keep your immunity level high. You have to fight it. You have to stay positive, and believe in yourself. Eat well, sleep well, keep your immunity level high."
"Nobody knows very much about it yet. You have to be very very clear that you have to stay isolated. You have to wash your hands, wear a mask. You've to be careful."
"I sometime make the sweet dishes, or may be the odd gobhi-aloo, bhindi or karela. I also love to cook meat. I make lovely meat. 24 hours is less for me. We are managing somehow."
"Now everybody is training on their own. We have laid out plans for the fast bowling unit. They are given whole plan on what to do everyday and what training, and how to do. We want to be fitter than last year."