5 Cricketers who came out to bat with deadly injuries

Cricket is about suffering, perseverance, and sacrifice in addition to hundreds of runs and wickets. Despite suffering severe injuries, some athletes have continued to play when their teams most needed them. Their tales are ingrained in cricket lore, serving as a reminder that tenacity is the real essence of the game.

Cricket, which is frequently thought of as a game for gentlemen, has a special ability to create situations that are both courageous and spectacular. The innings played by injured batsmen who have overcome their physical anguish and pain out of a desire to represent their teams are among the most memorable of these. These five cricket players became icons of unrivalled bravery by putting their own suffering ahead of their comfort.

1. Malcolm Marshall, West Indies (1984)

One of the greatest fast bowlers to ever grace the game was Malcolm Marshall. After fracturing his hand during the West Indies' 1984 tour of England, the cricket star suffered a serious injury, but he demonstrated that he could handle pain just as well as he gave it. 

Larry Gomes reached his century thanks to Marshall's one-handed batting. Later, the former pacer spearheaded the attack and used the ball to help his team win the game. With statistics of 7/53, Malcolm Marshall won the match and the hearts of all cricket fans by himself.

2. Anil Kumble, India (2002)

One Mervyn Dillon bouncer spat venom at Anil Kumble on what would otherwise have been a featherbed pitch in Antigua. He spat out blood when batting at number seven, but he continued for another twenty minutes before realising his jaw was fractured. Kumble's next move, with surgery planned and a flight back to Bengaluru booked, was to bowl 14 consecutive overs while sporting a bandaged jaw, trapping the renowned Brian Lara leg before. Later, he would add with trademark understatement, "I didn't want to sit around."

3. Graeme Smith, South Africa (2009)

Graeme Smith, the former captain of South Africa, was the picture of tenacity and determination. During the 2009 Australian tour, Mitchell Johnson broke Smith's hand in Sydney with a bouncer. The game was in its last hour when Smith came out to bat. One of the best instances of a cricket player playing despite an injury was when Graeme Smith came out to cheers. The Australian crowd even cheered for the South African captain. 

Despite Graeme Smith's one-handed batting in the final stages of the day, Australia prevailed. Ricky Ponting was spotted praising Smith's courage as the two squads exited the field.

4. Nathan Lyon, Australia (2023)

During the 2023 Ashes at Lord's, Australia's Nathan Lyon hurt himself pretty innocently as he ran to collect a high ball in the field and tore his right calf. His participation in the series, let alone that match, was in doubt after he was crutching to the ground the next day.

But at 264-9, he limped down the Lord's steps to bat, and when he came out, the whole ground gave him a standing ovation. Australia won by 43 runs after Lyon scored four off 13 in a 15-run partnership, and the Ashes ended up being tied two games later.

5. Rishabh Pant, India (2025)

Despite nursing a fractured toe, Rishabh Pant showed courage by walking in to bat on Day 2 of the fourth Test match between England and India at Manchester. A ball from Chris Woakes struck Rishabh's front foot's toes on Day 1, forcing him to retire due to injury.

After leaving the field in agony, Rishabh was brought in for scans, which revealed that his feet had fractured bones. Nevertheless, he came in to bat on day two following Shardul Thakur's dismissal. Despite being told that he would require six weeks to recover, Rishabh entered the game and scored an important half-century.

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