Chetan Sakariya admits he feared the ‘death’ of his cricket career

Left-arm fast bowler Chetan Sakariya played his first home match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Saurashtra after not playing a single match since his injury in 2024. The pacer shared his inspiring comeback story after losing all hope of returning to cricket.

Injuries are the biggest misery in a sportsman’s life. For cricketers, especially bowlers, a blow to their bowling arm can almost end their career. Indian left-arm bowling sensation Chetan Sakariya from Saurashtra also struggled with the same in the early days of his career.

However, he made his return and played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL last season and eventually gathered courage and returned to domestic Indian cricket this season with the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Chetan Sakariya makes comeback after a career-ending wrist injury

Once considered one of India’s best young talents, Chetan Sakariya was considered one of the future fast bowling superstars of the country. He rose to fame after winning the Ranji Trophy with Saurashtra in 2020.

However, his career suffered several unexpected blows. The first blow came in the form of a personal tragedy, but the worrying blow that almost ended his career came with a left wrist injury in February 2024. The impact of the injury was such that Sakariya thought it would end his playing career.

“When I got injured, I thought I would never come back,” Sakariya told the news agency PTI. However, the bowler recently made his comeback and is taking small steps towards a full-fledged return to the game. “Now I feel very good after playing in this domestic season, I feel so good after bowling for Saurashtra,” the cricketer said.

“It was a mental challenge for me. I didn’t believe I would be able to play cricket again. Some doctors told me I might not be able to grip the ball anymore,” he added.

Sakariya is introduced to the most difficult phase of life and the support of friends and family

However, the wrist injury wasn’t the first time Sakariya’s career was affected. He faced a major challenge in 2021 when he experienced a huge family tragedy. Both his father and brother died around the same time.

Chetan Sakariya has revealed that this was the toughest phase of his life, and he was very young at that time; however, the incidents taught him about resilience. “So at that time, if I had not been a cricketer, I don’t think I would have been able to come back to life. Now I feel that if another difficult situation comes in my life, I am prepared for it. I know what to do,” he said.

Sakariya also claimed that his friends and family were a huge support during that time. They supported him and forced him to resume playing, and so he started rehabilitation under the guidance of the Saurashtra Cricket Association.

Chetan Sakariya gives a special mention to the KKR coaches for his rehabilitation and training

Chetan Sakariya, despite not playing a single match in the 2024-2025 domestic season, found a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp as he was brought in to replace the injured Umran Malik. He expressed his gratitude to Chandrakanth Pandit, KKR’s former head coach, for believing in him and helping him in his rehabilitation and training at the KKR camp.

He added that the presence of Bharat Arun, India’s former bowling coach, in the camp helped Chetan Sakariya improve his knowledge of the game.

“He helped me work on my rhythm and skills. He told me how to progress in modern cricket. After working with Bharat for two-and-a-half months, I improved my bowling knowledge a lot,” he explained.

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