No injury is easy, but this one has hit the hardest, says Shreyanka after being ruled out of T20 WC

Manchester, June 20 (IANS) India off‑spin bowling all‑rounder Shreyanka Patil admitted her latest injury setback has been the ‘hardest’ to take after a right ankle injury led to her being ruled out of the remainder of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

During India’s Group A clash against the Netherlands at Headingley on Wednesday, Shreyanka was stretchered off the field after twisting her right ankle on the first ball of the sixth over of the Netherlands’ innings.

Shreyanka had just come in to bowl and chased a ball towards mid‑on, but went down on the field after twisting her right ankle. She immediately clutched her ankle and winced in pain, with teammates and physio rushing to her aid.

“Well, not every dream comes true. No injury is easy, but this one has hit the hardest. But in these last couple of days, I have been overwhelmed by the love I have received. I have seen so many messages, so many edits, and reels, and I truly appreciate them all.

“I know I have enough of you wishing well for me to get through this as well. Not every dream comes true, but I’m not going to stop dreaming! And like I said last year, “heartbroken, but I will fly again,” wrote Shreyanka on her social media accounts on Saturday.

Shreyanka had made a comeback to international cricket from a long injury layoff earlier this year, and had featured in India’s win against Pakistan at Edgbaston, where she finished with 0-17 from three overs and took a breathtaking catch.

Shreyanka’s absence is a major blow to India, given her effectiveness against left‑handers and her good record of bowling in the death overs. She had been one of the standout performers in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), where her economy and strike rate in crunch situations made her a key asset for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

India have now drafted leg-spin bowling all-rounder Prema Rawat as her replacement, and they now face a selection dilemma ahead of their next Group A clash against South Africa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

While Prema offers variety, left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Radha Yadav remains another candidate to fill in the third spinner slot. The Indian team management may also consider tweaks to the pace bowling attack to cover up for the match‑ups Shreyanka specialised in executing seamlessly.

–IANS

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