The last time Prasidh Krishna played for India was on August 20 last year, in an ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. Even in his worst nightmare, he may not have dreamt that he would have to wait for almost a year for his next India appearance.
Following that match in Harare, the Karnataka and former Kolkata Knight Riders pacer was sidelined by a lumbar stress fracture that forced him to miss last season’s domestic cricket as well as the IPL this year.
His recovery process went well with the decision to go under the scalpel earlier this year proving to be beneficial. Able to bowl at full throttle now, Prasidh was certified fit for game time by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) physios and trainers which earned him a berth in the India squad for the Ireland tour later this month.
“I was quite sure about the decision to go for surgery. That was the right step.
“That was followed by hard running sessions and my workload (including strength training and skills alongside running) was gradually increased. Then when I finally started bowling, I felt nice. The entire programme was very well planned by my team at the NCA,” Prasidh told The Telegraph from Bangalore.
Having gone through that “frustrating phase”, return to cricket itself is a “variation” for the 27-year-old quick. “I would say coming back to cricket itself is a variation for me.
“In the initial phases after the injury, I wasn’t too worried as it was a part and parcel of a fast bowler’s life. But then, things were going slow at that time and I was getting a tad frustrated, though my family and friends gave me a lot of support which helped me relax.
“Once I realised that the surgery was going to happen, I made up my mind to not look too far ahead and just focus on getting back to doing the basics. I stayed patient and the rest followed. It’s good to be back in the fray.
Prasidh returned to competitive cricket back on Monday in a KSCA (Karnataka State Cricket Association) T20 tournament, finishing with 4/36 in four overs. “I’ve gone through quite a few practice sessions and match simulations. The focus now is to keep working hard, maintain my fitness and be available for selection,” he stated.
