Locked In Room For Months, Pep Talk From Jasprit Bumrah: India Cricketer Recalls Phase After Multiple Injury Setbacks

India all-rounder Shreyanka Patil is feeling like she is starting her career from scratch following a series of injuries that sidelined her for over a year. These setbacks have taught the 23-year-old crucial lessons about life as a professional cricketer during the early stages of her career.

Shreyanka was initially overwhelmed by the sequence of injuries. Following the 2024 T20 World Cup, she suffered from shin splints. Then came a wrist injury, and just as she was regaining confidence for a national comeback before the ODI World Cup at home last year, she broke her thumb.

Frustrated by her inability to return to the field, Shreyanka isolated herself in a room during the initial recovery phase. However, support from family and timely interactions

with fellow Indian cricketers, including Jasprit Bumrah, at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru helped her realise she was not alone in facing injury setbacks.

At CoE, India T20 skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyanka’s RCB teammates, Asha Shobhana and Kanika Ahuja, were also present. Speaking to the media ahead of the Women’s Premier League, Shreyanka discussed her experience dealing with back-to-back injuries.

“Initially, I thought it would just pass, but I wasn’t prepared. I had to figure out how to cope,” she said. “I hadn’t experienced this before, so I needed answers and solutions. Although I’m usually an extrovert, I couldn’t talk to people and locked myself in a room for over two months.”

Realising that she couldn’t continue isolating herself, Shreyanka began talking to others at CoE, including both women and men cricketers. Conversations about cricket and life with the likes of Bumrah helped her feel better about her situation.

“Random conversations about cricket and life helped me forget about my injury and focus on positive thoughts,” she said. “I made a few friends at CoE, mostly girls, but also boys like Bumrah, Sky, Riyan, and Mayank Yadav. Talking to them made me realise I wasn’t alone in facing difficulties.”

Despite being an off-spinner, Shreyanka was particularly excited to speak to Bumrah, who has also faced numerous injuries in his career. “When I heard Bumrah was coming to CoE, I was excited. I had many questions,” she said. “He was very sweet and agreed to chat. I asked him how he practices yorkers, despite being a fast bowler and me being a spinner.”

Bumrah’s advice on dealing with injuries left a lasting impression on Shreyanka. “He told me that what I was going through was normal and that everyone faces it. He advised me to accept it rather than fight it,” she said.

Shreyanka made her competitive comeback at the Caribbean Premier League last October. After an incident-free outing, she became emotional and couldn’t hold back her tears. These injuries had prevented her from participating in India’s triumphant ODI World Cup campaign at home. With the T20 World Cup scheduled in the UK later this year, she is optimistic about holding the ICC trophy.

With PTI Inputs