Young Indian all-rounder Sai Kishore is currently aiming to make a comeback after a neck injury. The Tamil Nadu-based all-rounder, who plays for Gujarat Titans, grabbed everyone’s attention with his match-winning performance against Punjab Kings in IPL 2024. Kishore took a superb 4/33 against PBKS and was also adjudged the player of the match. However, while enjoying his success in the IPL, he went out for a round of golf and sustained a neck injury that forced him to exit the tournament early.
After his exit from the IPL, Kishore went to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and worked on his rehabilitation. In early July, the all-rounder made a comeback in the Tamil Nadu Premier League for Tiruppur Tamizhans.
“We use the neck for everything. When you have to walk or sleep, it’s a challenge. I think a lot of people helped me. The GT physiotherapist, I was in so much pain that I called Thulasi Anna (Thulasi Ram Yuvaraj, physiotherapist at the NCA), the people at the NCA, coach Harsha… At TNPL too, people helped me, my personal masseur… difficult to single out one. More than anyone else, my wife helped me a lot. I couldn’t move or sit. Every two hours I had to set an alarm just to wake up and walk. I was in so much pain,” The New Indian Express quoted Kishore as saying.
“I was very grateful to be back. To be honest, it was an achievement just to get back to normal life, cricket was a bonus. When I started, I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it (to bowl so much). I accepted that, but I wanted to take on the challenge. The mind was there, but the body wasn’t quite there. So I had to let others do the work,” he added.
The Gujarat Titans all-rounder also showed a lot of confidence, calling himself “one of the best spinners” in India and even expressing his desire to play Test cricket alongside Ravindra Jadeja.
“I think I am one of the best spinners in the country. Send me in a Test match, I am ready. So I am not too worried. Jadeja is there, I have never played with him,” Kishore said.
“I was with him at CSK but have never played together in the red-ball format. So it will be a good learning experience, what he is doing. That tells me a lot of confidence. So I am more prepared than ever,” he added.
Sai Kishore was nominated for the Duleep Trophy and played three T20Is at the Asian Games.
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