Remember Chetan Sakariya? The left-arm pacer from Saurashtra, who has played one ODI and two T20Is, and represented Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL? He was conspicuously absent from the domestic circuit this season.
Reason? He was recovering from a serious left wrist injury that had threatened to derail his cricketing career. He is back with KKR for IPL 2025, albeit as a net bowler, but the opportunity to be part of an IPL set-up has been a lifeline for the 27-year-old. While he may not be able to showcase his signature ‘Black Panther’ celebration on the field, time spent at the nets will help him return to top-level cricket once again.
Sakariya’s last appearance was in February 2024 for Saurashtra against Manipur in the Ranji Trophy. He had suffered a left wrist injury that required surgery. Even Dr. Sudhir Warrier, a specialist consulted by players like Suryakumar Yadav in the past, wasn’t certain Sakariya could return to elite cricket when he first examined him. It was the NCA medical staff which had recommended Dr. Warrier to Sakariya. For the bowler, cricket is everything, and he had no choice but to fight his way back to what he loves with all his heart.
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The member of Saurashtra’s first-ever Ranji winning team in 2020 worked tirelessly with the BCCI’s NCA staff (now known as the Centre of Excellence Team) to restore his wrist’s functionality. Slowly but surely, the hard work paid off. The cause of his injury was similar to an incident involving Ben Stokes, who fractured his wrist after punching a locker in frustration following a golden duck against the West Indies in 2014.
During the IPL auctions, franchises overlooked Sakariya’s profile, dismissing him as ‘injured’ with no recent domestic performance to his name. However, KKR’s bowling coach, B Arun, spotted him playing in a T20 tournament in Mumbai and inquired about his fitness. Upon learning that Sakariya was regaining his rhythm, Arun offered him a net bowler’s role.
Sakariya has faced numerous challenges. Coming from a humble background, he endured the tragic loss of his father (to COVID-19) and his brother (to suicide) in 2021. When his top-tier cricketing career was hanging in the balance, Arun’s offer handed him a new lease of life. While the Rs 2 lakh for a net bowler may not be the main draw for joining KKR, the chance to bowl to world-class players in the nets was exactly the lifeline he needed to revive his cricketing journey.
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