India Fast Bowler Feared He Will Never Play Cricket Again: 'Some Doctors Told Me...'

Nearly three years back, Chetan Sakariya was counted among the next generation of Indian fast bowlers. An injury though halted his progress, and a long rehabilitation process pushed him down the pecking order. Such was the impact of the injury that Sakariya thought it would be the end of his playing career.

The career-threatening left wrist injury he suffered in February 2024 required surgery and put him out of action for a lengthy period. He has started taking small steps towards his comeback, having played for Saurashtra in the ongoing domestic season for the first time in nearly two years.

“When I got injured, I thought I would never come back,” Sakariya told news agency PTI. “Now, I am feeling very good after playing in this domestic season,

feel so good after bowling for Saurashtra.”

The phase, the 27-year-old says, was quite mentally challenging.

“It was very mentally challenging for me. I didn’t believe that I would be able to play cricket again. Some doctors told me that I might not be able to grip the ball again. It was a very difficult time for me as I was not able to believe in myself,” he said.

However, this wasn’t the first time that Sakariya had to deal with a major challenge. A year after winning Ranji Trophy with Saurashtra in 2020, the fast bowler had to endure twin family tragedies, losing his father and brother.

That phase taught him resilience.

“This situation that I faced in my life was unexpected. I was very young at that age. You know, the whole support system of your family runs together. When it disappears one sudden day, you don’t understand what you will do next,” he said.

“So at that time, if I hadn’t been a cricketer, I don’t think I would have been able to come back to life. Now, I feel that if any tough situation comes in my life again, I am prepared for it. I know what I have to do,” he added.

Sakariya also had a very supportive ecosystem around.

“Gradually, my family and friends supported me (when he was injured). They told me to play again, believe in myself. So, I started working again. I did rehab under the guidance of Saurashtra Cricket Association. Gradually, I started seeing the difference and the motivation to pick up a ball came back to me,” he said.

Sakariya also had a stroke of luck when Umran Malik was ruled out from IPL 2025 and Kolkata Knight Riders called him as his replacement.

“I think it was the biggest thing for me in 2025. I did not play in the domestic season (2024-25). But the KKR management, especially Chandu sir (former KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit) trusted me, and provided me with everything I needed for rehab and training,” he said.

The presence of former India bowling coach Bharat Arun in KKR staff during that season improved Sakariya’s knowledge.

“Bharat sir has worked with me throughout the season. As soon as I left cricket for two years, I needed a lot of corrections. If you do not play cricket for a long time, you lose your tactical awareness. It takes time to recover. “He helped me work on my rhythm and skills. He told me how to advance in modern cricket. After working with Bharat sir for two and a half months, I have improved a lot in my knowledge of bowling,” he explained.