Indian​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ off-spinner Shreyanka Patil revealed that she underwent a difficult period in her career and was very much influenced by the senior Indian stars Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav to keep her spirits up and not give up during her tough injury layoff. The 22-year-old all-rounder confessed that she had started doubting her cricketing future after she had been getting into trouble repeatedly post the T20 World Cup last year.

Shreyanka has not been in the national team for close to a year due to her fight with multiple injuries that included shin splints, a wrist issue, and a fractured thumb. Besides, she was absent in the latest Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, in which she is the RCB (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) player, but had earlier been the Purple Cap winner in their title-winning 2024 campaign. Looking for both energy and guidance, Shreyanka contacted Bumrah and Suryakumar, and these are two players who were also injured and have their share of setbacks in recent ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌times.

Learning from the best: Bumrah’s death bowling lessons and Surya’s philosophy on life, says Shreyanka Patil

Shreyanka Patil

Speaking in a video on BCCI Domestic, Shreyanka shared that she wanted to understand how Bumrah deals with pressure situations, given her own role as a bowler who often bowls at the death. “I’m not someone who enjoys staying confined. I love going out, spending time with friends, I’m an extrovert,” she said. “That’s when I realised there were others like me dealing with their own injuries. When I met Bumrah, I told him, ‘Please give me some time. I want to talk to you.’ He shared some brilliant insights. As bowlers, when we talk, there’s an instant connection.”

Shreyanka also recalled her conversation with Suryakumar Yadav, saying that the Indian T20I skipper emphasised the importance of staying happy and enjoying the process. “With Surya, it was more about batting and life, the reverse sweeps, the shots he plays, but also deeper conversations. When I asked him about life, he simply said, ‘Be happy. Try being happy in whatever you do.’
While​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ she was healing, Shreyanka kept practicing at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru and later returned to competitive cricket with the Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League. She was a bit out of form but she slowly got back her flow. Now playing for Karnataka in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, she has picked up five wickets in eight matches with an economy of 6.31. To add to that across formats, the young dynamic player has taken 20 wickets in three ODIs and 16 T20Is with an outstanding economy rate of ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌6.73.