Amanjot 2.0: All-rounder Kaur determined to make a mark for India
CHENNAI: WHEN Amanjot Kaur walked onto the field at the SSN College Ground, Chennai on January 7 for Team E during the senior women's one-day challenger Trophy clash against Team A after an eight-month injury layoff, she did not feel nervous. Instead, Kaur was grateful to be back on the field. It was when a back stress fracture and a ligament tear in her hand put her out of action in April 2024, Kaur realised how much the sport meant to her.
Like most players, recovery was not easy either. With so much time to kill, the mind may play havoc. Kaur had to adapt and started doing chores like making salad, painting and watching movies to keep herself busy and occupied during rehabilitation. And when she finally made a comeback, the Punjab all-rounder unleashed herself like never before.
Even though her team did not make the final, she impressed with her bowling in the senior challengers and went on to play a crucial part in Mumbai Indians winning their second Women's Premier League title. An India comeback followed in Sri Lanka where she took back-to-back three-fers in the ODI tri-series. Now, Kaur is in England, hoping to make a mark as a genuine all-rounder in all three departments in the five T20Is and three ODIs that begin on Saturday.
'I am very excited but I have to control my emotions,' Kaur told this daily ahead of the England tour in May. 'I have to bowl according to the conditions and the team's requirements. It's not like if the conditions are good, I have to overdo with my swing. I want to continue from where I left in Sri Lanka and not leave it behind. No point in doing it in bits and pieces. I am very excited.'
While it has been a memorable six months for Kaur, the road to getting to that point in Chennai began mid 2024. When the 24-year-old injured her hand during the Bangladesh tour in April 2024, it did not feel as bad. Even the MRIs and scans showed a grade two tear, but the pain was immense. It was only when she did an ultrasound, Kaur realised that her ligament got folded at the joint because of which she could not extend her hand. Coupled with the back pain she felt during training, Kaur reported to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. She was not able to move properly.
'For a couple of months, I had to be on bed rest. I did not know what to do with all the time I had. I was cranky. The initial period was very tough. My family doesn't understand cricket. The injury was a big setback for them. We are in the circuit, so we know that the injury is part and parcel of the game. But my family did not get it. They think that there are six or eight months and there are so many other young players and someone will come in. They think from a different point of view,' the 24-year-old explained.
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