“I don’t know how I ended up getting a purple cap and I was just happy,” shares Shreyanka Patil

Shreyanka Patil‘s journey in cricket has been nothing short of inspiring. From playing for Karnataka in domestic cricket to making a mark with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), she has established herself as a promising off spinner. Her talent has taken her beyond Indian shores, representing Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, and in 2023, she realized her dream of donning the India jersey.

However, just as she was riding high on success, the third edition of WPL 2025 delivered a heartbreaking blow. After playing a pivotal role in RCB’s triumphant campaign last year—where she picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches—Shreyanka was ruled out due to injury. Her absence will be a major setback for the defending champions, especially considering her match-winning spell of 4/12 in the final against Delhi Capitals. To fill the void, RCB has roped in seasoned all-rounder Sneh Rana as a replacement.

Shreyanka has always believed in the power of manifestation. During the pandemic, when uncertainty loomed large, she decided to put her goals on paper.

“I made a vision board because this was during Covid and I was jobless, so I was like let me do something……and there was one place where me and my coach always talk about this saying okay by 2025 you’ll have to make it to the Indian team so let’s work towards it let’s give it five years and say we’re only just going to practice and get you more stronger with mental and physical.”

This determination and structured approach have been key factors in her rapid rise to international cricket. Playing for Karnataka was a childhood dream for Shreyanka, but the road was far from easy. She had her fair share of self-doubts, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when she was dealing with a back injury. But the moment she got the opportunity; she made it count.

“I think around at 10 or 11 years, I was like okay fine let me take this game seriously and then I started playing for Karnataka……I started doubting myself because during Covid with a back injury and I was like God what’s happening….I mean everyone want to play for their state and playing for Karnataka was a pride moment so when I got this opportunity to play for Karnataka I was like wow this is so cool.”

Breaking into the senior team wasn’t easy either, but a standout performance in a practice match turned things in her favor.

“As I told, getting into a senior team was very hard and challenging….in the practice match after the Covid, I scored a 100 and I picked up two or three wickets and that kind of led me into the senior team and from there onwards, Veda Akka (Veda Krishnamurthy) was the only one who kind of was a backbone for me.”

Veda Krishnamurthy’s constant support played a crucial role in helping Shreyanka navigate the challenges and establish herself at the senior level. Interestingly, Shreyanka’s journey as a bowler wasn’t straightforward. She tried her hand at multiple roles before discovering her true calling as an off spinner.

“I started as a medium pacer and then batting was always like on and off, I didn’t really take batting that seriously, then I tried wicket keeping, that too didn’t work, then I tried leg spin, didn’t work, and then one week before under 16 selections I just tried off spin.”

It was a coach’s faith in her abilities that pushed her to continue with off-spin—a decision that ultimately shaped her career. She shared, “One of my coaches, he recently passed away so he said, ‘no she has to try off spin’….and then I was like okay fine let me this is coming naturally to me why not do it and then that’s how it started.”

The WPL 2024 season was a rollercoaster ride for Shreyanka. Playing in front of her home crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was supposed to be a dream moment, but it didn’t go as planned.

“RCB games in Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, was something I was always looking forward to and when it didn’t go my way, I was disappointed…. I was like what’s happening this is not how I wanted to play in front of my own crowd.”

However, an injury changed everything, “I think the injury kind of changed my mindset…so what happened during the game against MI (Mumbai Indians), I fractured my finger…..I can’t be harsh on myself but I have to also understand what I’m actually going through so that’s when I actually spoke to myself and say it’s okay to fail but the way you bounce back is what matters the most.”

Despite the setback, Shreyanka made a remarkable comeback, winning the coveted Purple Cap for being the highest wicket-taker of the tournament.

“But in all of this I would love to mention Smriti (Smriti Mandhana, captain) and Luke (Luke Williams, head coach) …. I mean they could have easily said ‘okay let’s get a replacement for Shreyanka’ but they truly believed in me with one hand….and then when I went to Delhi it was all about fresh start and then I don’t know how I ended up getting a purple cap and I was just happy, was incredible.”

At just 22, Shreyanka has already represented India in both ODIs and T20Is. She made her T20I debut against England and her ODI debut against Australia. In three ODIs, she has picked up five wickets with a best of 3/57, while in 16 T20Is, she has scalped 20 wickets, with her best figures being 3/19.

Her ability to deliver under pressure and bounce back from adversities makes her a player to watch out for in the coming years. While the injury setback in WPL 2025 is a disappointment, knowing her resilience, it won’t be long before Shreyanka Patil makes another roaring comeback.

(Quotes sourced from RCB Podcast)

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