Indian off-spinner Shreyanka Patil has revealed how Jasprit Bumrah and Suryakumar Yadav inspired her during a difficult phase when a series of injuries after last year’s T20 World Cup made her question whether she could continue the sport.
The all-rounder has not donned the national colors for a year after suffering shin splints, a wrist injury and later a broken thumb. She also missed the Women’s Premier League (WPL) season, where she represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru and previously won the Purple Cap in 2024 when RCB lifted the title.
Shreyanka said she turned to Bumrah and Suryakumar, who have battled injuries in the past year, for advice. In particular, she wanted to learn from Bumrah about the art of death bowling, given her own role as a bowler who often operates in pressure situations.
“I’m not someone who likes to stay closed. I like to go out, spend time with friends – I’m an extrovert. That’s when I realized that others like me were dealing with their own injuries. Suryakumar Yadav was there, Bumrah was there. When I met Bumrah, I told him, ‘Please give me some time. I want to talk to you CI, Shresticka’.”
“As an off-spinner who sometimes bowls to the death, I wanted to understand how he handles pressure. He shared some great insights. When we talk as bowlers, there is an instant connection,” Shreyanka said.
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Navigating the challenges of an 11-month injury layoff
Drawing inspiration from the best — Suryakumar Yadav & Jasprit Bumrah
COE’s key role in recovery
11 months pic.twitter.com/aVfiCNUiLR— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) October 28, 2025
‘BE HAPPY’
In an interview with Suryakumar, Shreyanka said the Indian T20I captain advised her to stay happy and also discussed with her the art of playing sweep shots with precision.
“With Surya, it was more about batting and life – the back sweep, the strokes he plays, but also the deeper conversations. When I asked him about life, he simply said, ‘Be happy. Try to be happy in everything you do,'” added Shreyanka.
During her time away from the game, Shreyanka trained at the Center of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. She made her comeback with the Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, where she looked a little rusty and managed just one goal in five games.
Shreyanka is currently representing Karnataka in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy, where she has taken five wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 6.31. In three ODIs and 16 T20Is, Shreyanka took 20 wickets at an economy rate of 6.73.
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Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
October 28, 2025
