Shreyanka Patil – When Sport Turns Cruel and Asks the Hard Questions

 

It was immediately evident that Shreyanka’s  injury was a serious one. Image :X

Boria Majumdar

It was her very first delivery, and she sprinted across to stop a single towards midwicket. That’s when it happened. Her ankle twisted and, in an instant, it was evident that the injury was a serious one. Shreyanka couldn’t get up, and medical assistance had to be called immediately.
For the next few minutes, the entire Indian team stood by her as the physio and support staff tended to her. She did try to get up and walk, but clearly the pain was too much. That was when she was put on the buggy to be escorted out of the ground. It was a cruel end to her game and, who knows, perhaps even to her World Cup.

At the time of writing this piece, 9.45 pm England time on 18 June, we just got confirmation that Shreyanka will have no further role in the World Cup. She was taken for scans at around 7 pm on 17 June after the game, and the management has been with her every step of the way.

This is where sport turns very cruel. Shreyanka has been one of the most unfortunate players over the past year and a half. For nearly 13 months, she was sidelined with injury and, as she revealed recently, even contemplated quitting the game. She also battled depression. Sport does challenge you, and it must have been a crushing blow to miss the 2025 World Cup at home.

That is where the ongoing World Cup becomes relevant. She pushed herself to the limit and fought her way back into competitive cricket. First in the Caribbean league and then during the WPL for RCB. Thereafter, she was one of India’s better bowlers against South Africa and England. In fact, she is one of the key members of this team and a vital cog in the bowling unit.

How will Shreyanka deal with this injury? How will she come to terms with it all? Will self-doubt creep in again? Will she question her future one more time?

The truth is that, as a young person staring at an uncertain few months, there is bound to be self-doubt. Situations like these test anyone, and Shreyanka will be no exception. Having said that, this is where resilience is needed most. Support from her team-mates will be crucial, and her family will also have to step up and cocoon her from the negativity that inevitably surrounds such setbacks.

To give a Sachin Tendulkar example, during the 2006 tennis elbow period, Sachin often asked himself whether he would ever play the sport again. He would go for drives around Mumbai at 2 am to vent his frustration. He suffered from self-doubt and prolonged periods of depression, but at no point did he give up.

Shreyanka would do well to speak to the great man and seek some advice. She is far too talented to walk away from the game. Yes, it is hard, but adversity often brings out the very best in champions, and she is undoubtedly one of them.

We wish her all the very best.

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