Shreyanka Patil looks for a way out from web of injuries

The 22-year-old off-spinner who dazzled for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the 2023 Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) and for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their 2024 Women’s Premier League title run and now turns out for Barbados Royals in the WCPL has been caught in a cycle of injuries that has kept her away from the game.

Touted as one of India’s most exciting young prospects, Patil will miss the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup at home. But her journey over the past year has been less about runs, wickets and trophies, and more about patience and perspective.

“Someone who’s not played for about 11 months… I think I was prepared not to be in the team,” Patil told HT in an interaction facilitated by FanCode. “Obviously, if I get a chance, I’d love to grab that. But I was somewhere prepared, saying, ‘Okay, I might not be seen in the Indian team for the World Cup.’”

The litany of injuries began with a fractured finger during the Asia Cup last July. She recovered to play the T20 World Cup but was soon sidelined by Grade 3 shin splints that relapsed three months later. A stress reaction in her wrist followed and just as she completed fitness tests in a bowlers’ camp earlier this year, Patil fractured her thumb during a fielding drill. In July, she was picked for the India A side to tour Australia but had to withdraw.

The hardest blow, however, came with the WPL. “Missing WPL was the biggest breakdown,” she said. “I was visualising and manifesting that we’d be defending champions again. I did not see myself not being part of the team.”

Through it all, Patil leaned on her creativity and her circle of support. She painted, danced, journalled and even picked up the guitar — a birthday gift from India teammate Jemimah Rodrigues. “Whatever I felt, I started writing in my diary whether I was upset, happy, nervous, excited. During rehab, I’d write what I was grateful for that day. That kept me going,” she says.

Friends became anchors during this phase. “When I heard the news that I’d miss WPL from the physios, I went to Jemi’s place and broke down. Jemi, Aru [Arundhati Reddy], Smriti [Mandhana]… all of them were there for me. Over the past 11 months, they’ve constantly checked in.”

At the National Cricket Academy, Patil found herself surrounded by cricketers on their own rehab journeys. “Initially it was tricky, but once I spent more time with friends at NCA, I got comfortable. We shared injury stories. Talking to people like Riyan [Parag] or Mayank [Yadav] made me calmer because I realised I wasn’t alone.”

Even senior India batter Suryakumar Yadav, who was on his way to full fitness, provided perspective. “Our conversations were about life, not cricket. He told me to be patient and that everything would come back.”

Patil also credits her coach Arjun Dev and the physio team for helping her rebuild cautiously and trying to pave her way back to the team. “I’ve learned to understand my body… when to push, when to stop. Having that trust between coach and player makes it easier.”

Although the road back may not be that long with the T20 World Cup next year, Patil feels that the WCPL will be the beginning of a new chapter. “When I got picked by Barbados Royals after not playing for 11 months, I thought maybe it’s just meant to happen like it did last time — starting again with WCPL, then WPL, then India.”

Click here to read article