With Royal Challengers retention boost, Shreyanka on comeback trail

When the Indian women's team lifted their first-ever World Cup trophy earlier this month, it was a moment of unfiltered joy.

- Samreen Razzaqui

But somewhere, amid the cheers and confetti, there lingered a bittersweet - for a young spin all-rounder who should have been part of it all.

In the scheme of things for India before a series of injuries that ruled her out for nearly 11 months, Shreyanka Patil had to watch the prep and triumph unfold from afar. For a cricketer whose game had been on a steep upward curve - from standout WPL performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru - her time away from the game tested her resolve.

"It was tough for her but also for me as a coach," coach Arjun Dev, who has seen Patil's rise and the rollercoaster that followed, told HT. "Without the injury, she would have been there. That was the dream ... to celebrate a World Cup win at home. We're all happy, of course, but it would be a lie to say we weren't a little disappointed that she wasn't part of it."