“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t depressed”: Shreyanka Patel’s emotional confession after India’s win over Pakistan | Cricket news
New Delhi: India got their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign off to a flying start with a 64-run win over Pakistan in Birmingham. After scoring 170/6, the Women in Blue bowled out their opponents for 106, thanks in large part to Deepti SharmaA brilliant five-wicket haul. Smriti MandhanaA knock of 68’s and a late attack from Richa Ghosh helped India recover from early wobble, while the spin attack completely dominated the chase as Pakistan suffered a collapse after a promising start.Shreyanka Patel, who played a key role with the ball, said the team was happy to start the tournament strong but remained aware of the tough tests ahead. “I have always enjoyed bowling for the powerplay, be it for my state team or for India. “It’s amazing to take the pressure because this is what I love to do and it’s something I’ve done successfully in the past,” she told JioStar. Looking to the future, she added: “We know that Australia and South Africa are great teams as well. It’s the World Cup, you never know; anything can happen.”The all-rounder also spoke about her difficult period away from the game due to injury, and admitted that she battled negative thoughts and considered quitting cricket. She said: “I would be lying if I said I was not depressed or that I did not think about giving up cricket. This is how I felt initially during the injury phase.”However, Patel revealed that her love for the sport and the support of her family helped her overcome the difficult phase. “No matter what, I love doing this sport. I’m only here because I love doing it,” she said.“I kept my head up, my dad kept talking to me, and my family supported me the whole time.” Now that she is back on the court, Patel said: “I would love to be back on the court now, and I will not let this feeling go away.”
