Chetan Sakariya was among India’s pool of Next-Gen pacers until three years back. But the heady days are a speck in the mirror after a long rehabilitation period has left him fighting to regain relevance.But now, Sakariya has taken a small step in his comeback trail, appearing for Saurashtra in the on-going domestic season, a first for him since February 2024.“When I got injured, I thought I would never come back. Now, I am feeling very good after playing in this domestic season, feel so good after bowling for Saurashtra,” Sakariya told PTI here after Saurashtra’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Andhra.An injury to his bowling (left) wrist in early 2024 temporarily halted his career, and Sakariya said it was a mentally draining phase.“It was very mentally challenging for me. I didn’t believe that I would be able to play cricket again. Some doctors told me that I might not be able to grip the ball again. It was a very difficult time for me as I was not able to believe in myself,” he said.But Sakariya is no stranger to turmoil, having seen the death of his father and younger brother in 2021 due to separate tragedies.The 27-year-old said that turbulent period has taught him how to deal with setbacks in life and career.Story continues below this ad“This situation that I faced in my life was unexpected. I was very young at that age. You know, the whole support system of your family runs together. When it disappears one sudden day, you don’t understand what you will do next.“So at that time, if I hadn’t been a cricketer, I don’t think I would have been able to come back to life. Now, I feel that if any tough situation comes in my life again, I am prepared for it. I know what I have to do,” he explained.However, Sakariya had a very supportive eco-system around him when the injury threw his career into a blender.“Gradually, my family and friends supported me (when he was injured). They told me to play again, believe in myself. So, I started working again. I did rehab under the guidance of Saurashtra Cricket Association. Gradually, I started seeing the difference and the motivation to pick up a ball came back to me,” he added.Story continues below this adSoon, he started playing in local tournaments in Saurashtra and Mumbai to get a feel of competitive cricket.As fortune would have it, Sakariya received a call from Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL 2025 to replace an injured Umran Malik.“I think it was the biggest thing for me in 2025. I did not play in the domestic season (2024-25). But the KKR management, especially Chandu sir (former KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit) trusted me, and provided me with everything I needed for rehab and training.” The biggest blessing for Sakariya was the presence of former India bowling coach Bharat Arun in KKR staff during that season. Arun has moved to Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming season.“Bharat sir has worked with me throughout the season. As soon as I left cricket for two years, I needed a lot of corrections. If you do not play cricket for a long time, you lose your tactical awareness. It takes time to recover.Story continues below this ad“He helped me work on my rhythm and skills. He told me how to advance in modern cricket. After working with Bharat sir for two and a half months, I have improved a lot in my knowledge of bowling,” he detailed.But Sakariya understands that he needs to do a lot more to add to the one ODI and two T20Is that he has played for India in 2021.“I still feel that I need to work. I am lagging a little as I will have to work on my technique to get back into the groove. But I am improving day by day and that is a positive thing. If I get more time, I will get back into the groove,” he noted.The left-arm pacer has set realistic short-term goals in front of him, and is not overly perturbed by not getting an IPL contract this time, a far cry from the day when Delhi Capitals picked him up for Rs 4.2 crore ahead of IPL 2022.Story continues below this ad“I was not very disappointed. I knew that if I did something exceptional in the domestic season, I would be picked in the IPL. This was a mini auction and all the slots were already filled. So, I did not expect that I would be selected in the IPL.“But right now, I have set small goals, like becoming the highest wicket taker for Saurashtra, like I did in 2022-23 (when Saurashtra lifted the Ranji Trophy), then I want to play in the IPL. It has always been like that. I have set small goals in my life,” he signed off.