After nearly eleven months away from the game, Shreyanka Patil’s return to the field is more than just a comeback—it’s a celebration of resilience, patience, and unshakeable belief. The young spinner, known for her infectious energy and fearless approach, opened up about the emotional journey that took her from doubt and despair to rediscovering her joy in cricket.
“Amazing to be back on the field after 11 month long 11 months I would say shin splints; I had wrist injury then I fractured my thumb. I was not in a good space. That’s when I had these doubts at whether I want to continue playing cricket,” she shared candidly. For a player as passionate and energetic as Shreyanka, being forced to the sidelines was nothing short of torment.
“After the T20 World Cup which was in Dubai I was ruled out for the New Zealand series. Initially I thought okay it’s just an injury, so I am gonna be back on the field very soon. Obviously, I didn’t know I would come out with another injury after shin splints then I was shattered.”
Those months tested her patience and spirit, but the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and the Centre of Excellence (COE) became her second home. “In COE then I just got to the NCA, just train, go back to the room, shut, that’s it that was my life, I am someone who is not like that, I am someone who loves to go out and spend some time with all the friends, I am extrovert basically that’s when I realised there were multiple cricketers around who were going through their own injury and stuff,” she said.
Among those she met during her rehab were two icons of Indian cricket—Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav. “Surya Kumar Yadav was there, Bumrah was there. When I met Bumrah I was like please give me some time of yours I wanna come and talk to you because I am someone who also bowls in death overs, being an off spinner I have done that in the past, not just the death bowling but generally in terms of how you bowl under pressure such questions.
“He came up with some brilliant ideas. As a bowler when you talk to a bowler, that’s when you understand and connect to them.” The connection didn’t stop there. “Again, Suryakumar Yadav about batting the reverse, the sweeps he plays and also about life when I spoke to Suryakumar he just said, be happy, try being happy whatever you do.”
“One day I was like I have to do it and since then my routine started following back in place be it my meditation, my breathing, my morning till evening keeping myself occupied with whatever I do. Just hitting the gym and joining there and going to the pool session and getting some relax time. That’s when I switched on and from there, I was like no looking back.”
Her happiest moment arrived when she was told she could bowl again. “I was asking my physios and see when I am going to start to bowl, because bowling gives me a lot of happiness, so, when sir said tomorrow you are bowling. I was so happy and before I bowled the first ball after the warmup I just had tears.”
Reflecting on the support that guided her through, she said, “COE played a huge role as the facilities they have, the management, the physios they always wanted to help and wanting a player to be back on the field as soon as possible. When I got to play, I’m like this feeling is next level. I had a good support system who backed me in that phase and then just came out of it and was back in the field, which is something I am very happy and grateful about.”
Today, Shreyanka stands as a beacon of strength—a reminder that every setback carries within it the seeds of a powerful comeback.
(Quotes sourced from video posted by BCCI on Instagram)
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