Shreyanka Patil and cruel cycle of injuries that keeps haunting her
Women's T20 World Cup: It was only earlier this year that Shreyanka Patil made her return to the India setup after a lengthy spell on the sidelines caused by a finger injury and shin splints. Now, the 23-year-old has suffered another setback, having twisted her ankle during India's match against the Netherlands.
Fate, how cruel can you be?
Life keeps testing you in one way or the other. It tests your patience, pushes you to your limits, makes you question your worth and fate. It gives, but only after grinding you down and pushing you to the brink of giving up. For Shreyanka Patil, life has been cruel. For a young girl who is full of life and energy, life hasn’t been kind to her by any means.
It’s around two and a half years that Shreyanka has been a part of the Indian team since her debut in late 2023, but she has been more out of the field than she has been on it since then. It seems that just when she starts to rise from setbacks, fate tends to pin her down and push her back to starting all over again.
The Women’s T20 World Cup was supposed to be Shreyanka’s stage. Last year, she had gone to Lord’s and manifested lifting the title at the iconic Lord’s balcony. Who would have thought that dream would come crashing down? Who would have thought that the cycle of injuries that once haunted her would return after she spent months trying to leave them behind?
THE GHOST KEEPS CHASING SHREYANKA
Shreyanka has had her share of joys since debuting for RCB in 2023, winning the Women’s Premier League title in 2024 and 2026. But apart from that, she hasn’t had much to cheer for. In 2024, she suffered a finger injury while playing in the WPL, which led her to miss a couple of matches. However, she returned to become the Purple Cap holder and helped RCB win the title.
But the injury came back to haunt her when she was ruled out of the Asia Cup that year following the match against Pakistan. She returned for the T20 World Cup in the UAE, but soon entered a phase that kept her out of the game for 12 months. Just when she was supposed to play in WPL 2025, she sustained Grade 3 shin splints in both legs, which ruled her out of the tournament.
Shreyanka only returned later that year in October in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, where she represented Karnataka. She then made her India comeback after nearly 16 months on the tour of Australia.
Just when it seemed Shreyanka had turned a corner, she injured herself again after twisting her ankle in the Women’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands. And there is no timeline for when she will next return. How heartbreaking can that be.
NO LUCK FOR SHREYANKA
Shreyanka was beginning to rise again after the setbacks she endured in 2024. She lifted the WPL 2026 title and then followed it up with a Player of the Match performance in the T20I series decider against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. It finally felt like 2026 could be Shreyanka’s year. But no, not quite.
Shreyanka did not have the rub of the green in the Edgbaston clash against Pakistan. The scorecard will show Deepti Sharma took five wickets and Shree Charani picked up three, while Shreyanka returned wicketless. But what it won’t show is that Shreyanka had two catches dropped off her bowling in the powerplay.
If that was not enough, she then sustained a foot injury in the most unfortunate of circumstances. She chased her own delivery, and just as she went to collect the ball, she lost her footing. In 99 out of 100 instances, it is a routine pick-up. But not that day.
The injury was so severe that she could not even put weight on her foot and had to be carried off on a stretcher. In that moment, it almost felt evident that Shreyanka’s World Cup might be over. The pain on her face was less physical and more a silent question, why me, every single time?
THE MENTAL JOURNEY GETS TOUGHER
Earlier this month, Shreyanka revealed that her time away from the game had taken a heavy toll on her mental health, leading to depression and even thoughts of quitting cricket. With the support of her parents and loved ones, she managed to recover from that difficult phase and work her way back. The scars from that period may not have fully healed, and now she faces another setback.
Shreyanka will have to watch from the sidelines as India take on South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia in their remaining group-stage matches in a bid to reach the semifinals. She would have relished the chance to contribute on the field, but instead must watch her teammates play before packed crowds, including at Lord’s, a venue where she has long dreamt of showcasing her talent.
As she confronts yet another setback, Shreyanka can draw strength from the advice she once received from Jasprit Bumrah during her rehabilitation. Few cricketers understand the pain of repeated injury setbacks better than Bumrah, who battled through long spells on the sidelines to emerge as one of the world’s most feared all-format bowlers.
Shreyanka has already shown remarkable courage by overcoming both physical and mental challenges, and there is little reason to doubt her ability to do so again. The latest injury may delay her journey, but it does not define it.
Like Bumrah, she now has an opportunity to prove her strength of character and return stronger, wiser and more determined than ever.
Fate, how cruel can you be?
Life keeps testing you in one way or the other. It tests your patience, pushes you to your limits, makes you question your worth and fate. It gives, but only after grinding you down and pushing you to the brink of giving up. For Shreyanka Patil, life has been cruel. For a young girl who is full of life and energy, life hasn’t been kind to her by any means.
It’s around two and a half years that Shreyanka has been a part of the Indian team since her debut in late 2023, but she has been more out of the field than she has been on it since then. It seems that just when she starts to rise from setbacks, fate tends to pin her down and push her back to starting all over again.
The Women’s T20 World Cup was supposed to be Shreyanka’s stage. Last year, she had gone to Lord’s and manifested lifting the title at the iconic Lord’s balcony. Who would have thought that dream would come crashing down? Who would have thought that the cycle of injuries that once haunted her would return after she spent months trying to leave them behind?
THE GHOST KEEPS CHASING SHREYANKA
Shreyanka has had her share of joys since debuting for RCB in 2023, winning the Women’s Premier League title in 2024 and 2026. But apart from that, she hasn’t had much to cheer for. In 2024, she suffered a finger injury while playing in the WPL, which led her to miss a couple of matches. However, she returned to become the Purple Cap holder and helped RCB win the title.
But the injury came back to haunt her when she was ruled out of the Asia Cup that year following the match against Pakistan. She returned for the T20 World Cup in the UAE, but soon entered a phase that kept her out of the game for 12 months. Just when she was supposed to play in WPL 2025, she sustained Grade 3 shin splints in both legs, which ruled her out of the tournament.
Shreyanka only returned later that year in October in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, where she represented Karnataka. She then made her India comeback after nearly 16 months on the tour of Australia.
Just when it seemed Shreyanka had turned a corner, she injured herself again after twisting her ankle in the Women’s T20 World Cup match against the Netherlands. And there is no timeline for when she will next return. How heartbreaking can that be.
NO LUCK FOR SHREYANKA
Shreyanka was beginning to rise again after the setbacks she endured in 2024. She lifted the WPL 2026 title and then followed it up with a Player of the Match performance in the T20I series decider against Australia at the Adelaide Oval. It finally felt like 2026 could be Shreyanka’s year. But no, not quite.
Shreyanka did not have the rub of the green in the Edgbaston clash against Pakistan. The scorecard will show Deepti Sharma took five wickets and Shree Charani picked up three, while Shreyanka returned wicketless. But what it won’t show is that Shreyanka had two catches dropped off her bowling in the powerplay.
If that was not enough, she then sustained a foot injury in the most unfortunate of circumstances. She chased her own delivery, and just as she went to collect the ball, she lost her footing. In 99 out of 100 instances, it is a routine pick-up. But not that day.
The injury was so severe that she could not even put weight on her foot and had to be carried off on a stretcher. In that moment, it almost felt evident that Shreyanka’s World Cup might be over. The pain on her face was less physical and more a silent question, why me, every single time?
THE MENTAL JOURNEY GETS TOUGHER
Earlier this month, Shreyanka revealed that her time away from the game had taken a heavy toll on her mental health, leading to depression and even thoughts of quitting cricket. With the support of her parents and loved ones, she managed to recover from that difficult phase and work her way back. The scars from that period may not have fully healed, and now she faces another setback.
Shreyanka will have to watch from the sidelines as India take on South Africa, Bangladesh and Australia in their remaining group-stage matches in a bid to reach the semifinals. She would have relished the chance to contribute on the field, but instead must watch her teammates play before packed crowds, including at Lord’s, a venue where she has long dreamt of showcasing her talent.
As she confronts yet another setback, Shreyanka can draw strength from the advice she once received from Jasprit Bumrah during her rehabilitation. Few cricketers understand the pain of repeated injury setbacks better than Bumrah, who battled through long spells on the sidelines to emerge as one of the world’s most feared all-format bowlers.
Shreyanka has already shown remarkable courage by overcoming both physical and mental challenges, and there is little reason to doubt her ability to do so again. The latest injury may delay her journey, but it does not define it.
Like Bumrah, she now has an opportunity to prove her strength of character and return stronger, wiser and more determined than ever.
