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Shreyanka Patil hits back at trolls over dance reels: They're jealous I'm doing well Speaking at India Today's Karnataka Roundtable, Indian women's cricketer Shreyanka Patil opened up about facing social media trolling and revealed how she battled through a difficult injury phase that once made her consider quitting cricket. Shreyanka Patil has opened up about the trolling she has faced over posting videos and reels on her social media handles. Recently, the India women's cricketer shared a video of herself dancing to ‘Babli Badmaash Hai’, the song from the 2013 Bollywood film Shootout at Wadala, sung by Sunidhi Chauhan. The video attracted criticism and trolling on social media. Speaking to India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai at the Karnataka Roundtable on Wednesday, August 26, Shreyanka said she does not view the attention negatively, insisting that both appreciation and criticism keep people talking about her. “I mean, honestly, it gives me a lot of attention. People are actually seeing me and saying, ‘Oh, she’s doing so well.’ Whether you troll me, criticise me or appreciate me, I think it’s all for my good. I don’t see trolls as trolls because I love what I’m doing. I love being on Instagram, I love dancing, and I love wearing the dresses I want to wear,” Shreyanka said. The India bowler added that she is comfortable with her choices and does not allow criticism to dictate how she expresses herself. Shreyanka said she prefers to focus on things that make her happy rather than worry about her detractors. “I’m not shy about saying that because I’m comfortable with who I am. I’m comfortable dancing to any song and doing what makes me happy. I love doing what I love, and trolls are just going to remain trolls. They’re probably just jealous that I’m doing well,” Shreyanka said. ‘I DID NOT WANT TO PLAY ANYMORE’ While Shreyanka portrays a cheerful personality on social media, she has endured a difficult period on the cricket field. She returned to international cricket earlier this year after a gap of around 16 months, only to suffer another ankle injury in June that ruled her out of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England. Shreyanka recalled that during this difficult phase, she spoke to her coach, Arjun Dev, about potentially quitting the sport. However, watching the web series Operation Safed Sagar, starring Jimmy Shergill, Vinay Pathak and others, changed her perspective. The series helped her appreciate the opportunity to overcome setbacks, return to the field and continue pursuing the sport she loves. “Actually, what changed my life after this injury was watching Operation Safed Sagar. After the injury during the World Cup, I told my coach, who was sitting right here, that I didn’t want to play cricket anymore. I was done with it. I kept asking myself, ‘Why me? Why am I getting injured so many times?’ I don’t want to get emotional, but those feelings are still inside me. I wondered why I should play cricket just to keep getting injured,”Shreyanka said. “But then I watched this series, and it completely changed my perspective. I realised that there, even with one second here and there, you can give your life for your country. But here, whether you fail or do well, you can wake up and play on the field again. There’s nothing like that—you can have a bad day and still wake up and play the same sport you love,” Shreyanka added. WHEN WILL SHREYANKA RETURN TO PLAY? Having not played any cricket for the last two months, Shreyanka will also miss the upcoming Women’s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates. However, she has been named in India’s squad for the Asian Games, which will be held later this year in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Shreyanka’s selection, however, is subject to her fitness, with India waiting for her to regain full fitness. Since making her international debut in December 2023, she has played three ODIs and 24 T20Is, taking 34 wickets. At the domestic level, Shreyanka has been part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru side that won the Women’s Premier League title in 2024 and 2026. She also claimed the Purple Cap in 2024 despite missing matches due to injury. In the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, she has represented Guyana Amazon Warriors and Barbados Royals.