Indian bowler Arundhati Reddy made a courageous comeback after a frightening injury. Just a few days after hurting her leg against England, she featured in a warm-up match against New Zealand at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. She bowled nine overs and took two crucial wickets, helping India secure a four-wicket win (DLS method).
Speaking after the match, Arundhati shared the challenges she faced in making such a swift return.
“Initially, it was scary for me as well, because at that moment it was quite a big impact, so I was really scared to even get up. But I would really like to thank the medical staff and the team, because they did a great job and gave me the confidence that I could play. So I would really like to thank them,” Arundhati said.
The injury occurred on 25 September during India’s first warm-up match against England. While bowling, Arundhati attempted to catch a powerful shot from Heather Knight, lost her balance, and fell awkwardly on her left leg. She was unable to walk off the field and had to be taken away in a wheelchair for treatment.
Despite doubts over her fitness, Arundhati returned to claim the wickets of Isabella Gaze and Jess Kerr, finishing with figures of 2 for 42 in nine overs. Her teammate Harleen, who scored 74 runs off 79 balls after a low score against England, asked her after the match how she managed to recover so quickly.
“I just wanted to ask — you know, yesterday… I mean, in the last game — you were in a wheelchair. How difficult was it for you to recover so quickly? How was that experience?” Harleen asked.
The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India team will now begin their main campaign against Sri Lanka on 30 September at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
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