Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Shreyanka Patil expressed her overwhelming emotions after being informed of her retention by the 2024 WPL champions, despite being sidelined for over a year due to injuries.
The off-spinner finished as WPL 2024’s leading wicket-taker with 13 scalps, earning her the Purple Cap and the Emerging Player of the Season award as RCB clinched the title. However, she missed WPL 2025 because of recurring grade-three shin splints and a stress reaction in her right wrist. Shreyanka later fractured her thumb while fielding during India’s bowlers’ camp at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in June and has been active again since playing for Barbados Royals in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). With RCB retaining her for Rs 60 lakh, Shreyanka is eager to make a consistent comeback when the team begins its campaign against defending champions Mumbai Inddigihunt (MI) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Friday.
“No words can describe how I was feeling when I got that call saying I was retained. Malo sir (Malolan Rangarajan) called me and he was like, Patil, that’s what he calls me…he’s like, ‘Patil, you’ve been retained.’ I was actually blank and like shocked because someone who has not played for 13-14 months—to trust that girl and just say, I will back you because your skill is up there, you’ve done it before, you’ve been a part of the winning squad,” Patil shared during a virtual pre-season press conference.
“I mean, that gives so much confidence and motivation for any young cricketer, I would say I was blank, and he’s like, ‘Patil, I’ve not seen you this calm.’ I said, ‘Sir, I need some time for me to express myself.’ Then he’s like, ‘Ok Patil, you enjoy.’ Then I called Arjun sir (personal coach Arjun Dev) and I started crying and I’m like, I don’t know what’s happening because I was in that shock.
“Before that day, I was thinking too much. I was overthinking—like ‘oh, my God, what will happen? Will I be retained? If not, which team will I be playing for?’ So many thoughts. Then when that phone call happened, I was like, finally getting that nice feeling of just so much love. It was so much, I mean, I just felt so cute all over again,” she added.
Shreyanka noted the team would miss the ‘true legend’ Ellyse Perry, who is unavailable for the upcoming season due to personal reasons. “She’s a true legend of this game. Obviously, we’re going to miss her being a part of RCB for all the seasons, and she played a tremendous role in winning the cup. She’s taught us so much, not just on the field, but from her fitness too.
“So we’ve all got so much from her. Yes, we’re going to miss her for sure, but you can’t say a correct replacement for Perry is this one, or XYZ. But they’ve done a great job to get another player. This squad looks really nice. Obviously, we’re going to miss her, but this squad is also looking very balanced and strong,” she elaborated.
Shreyanka praised RCB for maintaining contact throughout her rehabilitation, with captain Smriti Mandhana regularly checking on her progress. “They’ve been checking on me, giving me that confidence, saying no matter what, you’re the best. So all of that, you feel it actually. It’s not just like you’re good, you’re good enough.
“It was a very hard statement for them to say, and I felt it. Smriti was constantly talking to me about my injury, how I’m doing in my practice sessions. We had some conversations, and they really helped me. They were like, if there’s anything needed, our medical team is there for you, you can call us anytime. So it wasn’t like a contract with RCB; it was more than that. It was more like a family concern for me,” she said.
Shreyanka wrapped up by mentioning that she spent the past month working intensively on match-based scenarios at NICE Academy with her coach, Arjun Dev. “I’ve done a lot of visualisation and manifestation, though I wasn’t playing. Now that I’m back in action after the past six-seven months, I’ve worked on my skills.
“But then the more you practice, the more consistent you get, the more confident you become. So now, before coming to Mumbai, I had a lovely schedule for a month. Back at home, in NICE Academy, Arjun sir had planned it. That one month gave me a lot of confidence in my cricket and mentally, like the tactics and technical bits. So when I flew, I was so happy, and I had that peaceful sleep on the flight knowing I’m fully prepared for this tournament.
“When I came here, the first session I bowled was brilliant. I enjoyed bowling here, got some knockings. I’m in a good space, I’m pretty much confident about my skills, my mindset, and I’m ready to go,” she concluded.