Monday proved to be a challenging day for Indian sports enthusiasts as three prominent athletes – Shreyas Iyer, Pratika Rawal, and PV Sindhu – all faced significant injury setbacks across their respective disciplines.
In Sydney, the cricketing world watches anxiously as India’s ODI vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, remains in intensive care. He suffered a serious spleen laceration during the third One-Day International against Australia. The 30-year-old sustained the injury to his left rib cage while attempting a difficult catch off Alex Carey. Although he initially left the field unassisted, he quickly reported intense pain, necessitating immediate medical intervention. The BCCI has confirmed internal bleeding but assures that Iyer is stable, though he will remain in the ICU for at least two days under close supervision. His family is making arrangements to travel to Sydney. The cricket community, including figures like Akash Chopra, KKR, DC, and Rajiv Shukla, has extended an outpouring of support and wishes for his swift recovery.
Closer to home, in Navi Mumbai, India’s Women’s World Cup aspirations took a significant hit. Opener Pratika Rawal has been unfortunately ruled out of the tournament after sustaining both knee and ankle injuries during a rain-affected match against Bangladesh. The 25-year-old batter from Delhi, who has been a standout performer as India’s second-highest scorer with 308 runs in the tournament, twisted her ankle while fielding on a wet outfield. The BCCI confirmed she is currently under medical observation. Rawal’s absence is particularly keenly felt given her phenomenal form, which included a century against New Zealand and a record-breaking 212-run partnership with fellow star Smriti Mandhana earlier in the competition.
In another unfortunate turn of events, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu has announced her withdrawal from all remaining 2025 BWF World Tour competitions. Following extensive consultations with Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala and her dedicated performance team, Sindhu has made the decision to focus entirely on recovering from a persistent foot injury. The 30-year-old badminton star has already embarked on a comprehensive rehabilitation program, with an ambitious goal of returning to competitive play by January 2026.
While this Monday brought a series of disheartening injury setbacks for Indian sports, it also ignited a spirit of resilience and hope for powerful comebacks from these exceptional athletes.