New DelhiIndia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketer Shreyanka Patil discussed her brief but remarkable career at the "She" Conclave. In 2024 and 2026, the star all-rounder played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who won the Women's Premier League. The cricket player discussed why she chose to become a professional player and how her family responded in an exclusive interview.
"My brother and father used to be cricket players. In the past, my father operated an academy in Bengaluru. I used to go there and play with all the girls and guys. I used to only go there for fun on the weekends. I never considered pursuing it as a career. I didn't want to sit at home and study, so I used to just go there and have fun before coming back. My parents continued. I fell in love with cricket and was extremely appreciative and fortunate to be able to go out and simply play. So, that's how my journey started when I was young," Shreyanka said.
Shrenaka discusses the difficulties of growing upThe Karnataka cricket player disclosed that while her grandmother did not support her, her parents did. She was more concerned about Shreyanka's tan. But things changed after she participated in the two WPL-winning campaigns, and her daadi is now extremely proud of the spinner.
"My parents had no issues at all. I used to play gully cricket with men. My parents didn't say anything. But my grandmother would always say something. "Like a guy, you want to go and play cricket," she used to say, always pulling my leg. She used to say, "You are losing your color, you are going so dark," whenever I got tanned. "It's okay, daadi, chill," I used to say. I'll bring honor to India." Now, my daadi comes, saying, "We are so proud of you, beti." Now, I say, 'see daadi, all that tan and all paid off'.
As a cricket player, Shreyanka reveals the hardest test.Due to several injuries, Shreyanka Patil missed the Women's World Cup in 2025 and was sidelined for more than a year. The 22-year-old disclosed that the stage wasn't the most difficult obstacle in her professional life, though. She clarified that dealing with injuries and self-doubt while she wasn't yet a professional cricket player was the true test. At the age of 16 or 17, Shreyanka expressed gratitude for having overcome those challenges.
"Everyone says that Shreyanka's injuries caused her to struggle over the past year.Yes, I have had a lot of difficulties over the past year. Nobody is aware, though, that I also missed a few months of being nothing. I wasn't even a member of the Karnataka senior team, let alone playing for the state. It was more difficult for me because I had to miss nearly a year due to a back injury. I used to go to rehab and run in order to join the Karnataka squad. following the COVID game. At the time, I was quite young. I was 16 or 17 and I would wonder, how do I face this? I thought maybe I wasn't made for cricket. I used to wonder, do I focus