Hard work and dedication always pay off, be it be in cricket or any walk of life. In Episode 2 of RCB’s Bold and Beyond podcast, Shreyanka Patil shared some of the most defining moments of her career.
From her experience bowling at the jam-packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to the “manifestation wicket” she always dreamed of, the Indian all-rounder shares raw insights into her maiden India call-up and the overwhelming emotions of receiving a guard of honour from the RCB men’s team after they lifted the maiden Women’s Premier League (WPL) title in 2024.
Bowling at the Chinnaswamy stadium, a fortress which is one of the toughest destinations to bowl for a spinner, Patil said, “Last year when I started playing here, the first leg was in the Chinnaswamy stadium, and I didn’t bowl well. I didn’t know what to do. I tried different things, but my pace was way too much and then until and unless I figured out that the Bangalore leg was over.
“But it’s pretty challenging because of the dew factor and the ground is smaller than the other grounds and also playing in front of your own crowd – you call it treasure, but for me, it was a little nervous, putting everything together. It’s challenging, but at the same time, it’s kind of fun because you don’t know how the pitch is going to behave.”
The Indian all-rounder applauded Yuzi Chahal and his masterclass of containing the batters while being a leg-spinner.
While being a key believer of manifestation, Patil named the dismissal of Healy Mathews in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as her ‘manifestation wicket’. Mathews had hit her for a boundary on the previous delivery but the off spinner ultimately had the final laugh, rejoicing in joy and celebration.
Talking about her prized possession in the WPL, she names Meg Lanning as the player with whom she has loved a battle on the 22-yards.
Patil made her international debut against England in the fag end of 2023 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Recalling the moment of jubilation where she was named as a part of the squad, the 22-year-old said, “I was on India A tour during that series, I was there at the hotel with my coach and friend Vrinda.
”We were all sitting there and we were waiting because we knew that around that time somewhere, similar, it’s going to come, the list is going to be out, and we were continuously checking on Twitter because that’s where the news gets updated. And then I get a notification on my phone saying, “being added to the group.”
Shreyanka was selected in the squad, and to her huge surprise, it was a squad that consisted of icons like Smriti Mandhana.
Indian women’s cricket has undergone a huge change in recent years. On being asked about the ‘game-changing’ moment in women’s game, Patil answered, “2017 World Cup. I think a lot of youngsters started believing that you can make something out of the sport. There is a career out of this sport. I started believing that I can play this sport and make it big in it.” Though India did not win the World Cup, the athletes played exceptional cricket.
As per Shreyanka, that was the moment where she got serious about the sport and decided to fully commit herself towards the switch from academics to cricket.
The women’s team was honoured by the men’s team in grand fashion at their home ground after bagging the elusive WPL title and finally quenching the thirst of a title for the team.
Shreyanka Patil shared her thoughts on the experience, saying, “Looking back, meeting the men’s team felt like being with family. It was such a chill environment, interacting with our own friends and family. It never felt like, ‘Oh, you’re talking to Maxwell’ or ‘Oh, you’re talking to Kartik.’ It was always fun and easygoing.
I had no idea that the men’s team was going to stand while we walked. I was chatting with Maxwell upstairs, and suddenly they all ran. I wanted to be in front and walk with them, but I missed it. Then I thought, ‘Okay, fine, let me go.’ It was a surprise for all of us—I didn’t know what was happening. I ran and realized, ‘Oh, this is what they’re doing!’ It was such a special moment to be part of the team and celebrate together. It wasn’t about women winning or men winning separately—it was about celebrating that victory as one,” she added.
(Quotes sourced from RCB podcast)
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