Key Points
- Shreyanka had a tough time in 2024-25 when she spent nearly 14 months on the sidelines following multiple injuries.
- Shreyanka did a good job with the ball against Pakistan, bowling a tight spell in the Powerplay.
- The spinner made a successful comeback in WPL 2026 earlier this year.
India spinner Shreyanka Patil opened up on how she nearly gave up cricket because of depression during a lengthy injury lay-off.
The off-spinner was part of the Indian team which outclassed Pakistan by 64 runs in their opening game of the Women's T20 World Cup, in Birmingham, on Sunday.
However, Shreyanka had a tough time in 2024-25 when she spent nearly 14 months on the sidelines following multiple injuries. She missed the 2025 ODI World Cup last year before making a successful comeback in WPL 2026 earlier this year, where she was a part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's second successive title.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't depressed or that I didn't think about giving up cricket. That's how I felt initially during the injury phase. But there was a voice inside me saying, 'No matter what, I love playing this sport. I'm here only because I love playing it.' So, I couldn't give up on something I love doing,' Shreyanka told JioStar's Adidas Match Centre Live.
'I kept my head high, my dad kept talking to me, and my family supported me throughout. The atmosphere around me and the strong support system I had, I was always surrounded by great people. That kept me going. I love being back on the field now, and I won't let that feeling go.'
Shreyanka did a good job with the ball against Pakistan, bowling a tight spell in the Powerplay which included two dropped catches.
'I've always enjoyed bowling in the Powerplay, whether it's for my state team or for India. It's amazing to bowl under pressure because that's what I love doing, and it's something I've successfully done in the past. It was fun bowling to a left-hander.'
'We had a couple of missed chances, but Deepti's five-wicket haul made up for it all. It's a great win for us to start the tournament, and we did so with a convincing margin. We know that Australia and South Africa are top teams as well. It's a World Cup, and you never know; anything can happen. So, you have to be at your best on the given day, and if you do everything right, you'll end up on the winning side.'
