- July 25, 2025
Pain and cricket have always walked hand in hand — though one rarely gets the applause. Recently, Rishabh Pant left fans stunned by returning to bat with a fractured toe in the 4th Test against England, turning pain into pure passion. But he’s not the first. Let’s rewind and revisit five Indian cricketers who played through fractures like true warriors.
Rishabh Pant: The Comeback in Manchester
Rishabh Pant showed remarkable grit after fracturing his right toe on Day 1 of the Fourth Test against England at Old Trafford while attempting a reverse sweep. Though he retired hurt on 37, Pant returned on Day Two, limping but determined to put his team first — a display of courage that earned him huge respect and proved his importance to India’s Test side.
This was more than playing on; we were witnessing guts and grit. Pant showed that although he was in pain, he was putting the team first, and he was always going to play, because India needed him.
Anil Kumble: The Broken Jaw That Couldn’t Break His Spirit
No list like this is complete without the Anil Kumble moment. It was Antigua, 2002. Kumble, batting against the West Indies, took a nasty blow from Mervyn Dillon that fractured his jaw. Most players would’ve headed home right away. Not Kumble.
Bandaged but burning with purpose, he bowled like a storm wearing a mask, refusing to let injury rewrite his script. Oh, and he even dismissed Brian Lara. Talk about bravery. The match ended in a draw, but Kumble’s face has been etched in every fan’s mind as the definition of fearless cricket.
Shikhar Dhawan: The Oval Hundred No One Saw Coming
World Cup. The Oval. Shikhar Dhawan took a stinger on the thumb from a fiery Pat Cummins delivery that screamed in like a heat-seeking missile. It swelled right up, and most observers expected him to turn and make a brisk walk back to the pavilion. But Gabbar instead stuck around.
With a fractured thumb and fierce Aussie firepower in front of him, Dhawan carved out a gutsy 117 off 109 balls — laced with 16 crisp boundaries — in a knock that blended grit with greatness. The injury eventually ruled him out of the World Cup with us still in it, but that innings — all character, all glory.
Rohit Sharma: Captain Courage in Mirpur
Fast forward to 2022 in Mirpur — Rohit Sharma injured his thumb early and retired hurt. But with India wobbling in the chase, he returned at No. 9, stitched-up webbing in hand, driven purely by a warrior’s instinct.
He scored an unbeaten 51 off 28 balls and hit five sixes as if injury wasn’t even a factor. India lost by 5 runs, yet fans did not care – their captain has lived through pain, and was leading by example. This was a hint into why Rohit is not just a great batsman, but a battle-hardened leader.
Murali Vijay: Quiet Resilience Through a Long Season
Murali Vijay might not be a sensational story, but he deserves his place here. He played several Tests with a fractured wrist during India’s kooky 2016-17 home season, and given rebuilds see a wealth of bad luck, he received advice to not use any power shots and still managed to keep ticking them over.
With 771 runs in his bag, Vijay didn’t just score—he carved his name into the season’s top three like a quiet storm. It wasn’t spectacular, but it was incredibly brave. Sometimes brave doesn’t roar; consider it quietly, to just sit and bat with a broken wrist to keep the score ticking along.
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