It feels like I am almost reborn again: Smit Patel's journey to hell and back

On the night of 7th May 2022, Former India U19 wicket keeper Smit Patel and his wife Nirali were driving through the streets of Bensalem in Pennsylvania. At about 11 pm, a car from the opposite lane deflected from its course and crashed into their car head on at an incredible speed. Nirali escaped with a few minor injuries in her leg, but the impact knocked out Smit, who only gained consciousness in the emergency room of a hospital.

Smit was hurried to the hospital with his body in shambles. He had high degree of lacerations all over his arms and forehead. Such was the loss of skin on his arms that skin had to be pulled from other areas of his body, which was then stapled together on his arms. He was even diagnosed with a fracture in his right wrist, a tennis elbow, concussion and displaced discs in his neck and spine area. The grievous jolt also rendered him with injuries in his knees.

On high pain medication, he was barely conscious the first couple of days. He regained his senses the day after with loss of memory of the mishap and moments leading up to it. When the doctors declined to give him a definite timeline for his return to professional cricket, a desolate Smit started losing sanity over his cricketing future.

"Cricket is the only thing I know, cricket is the only thing I have done since age 4! It was a horrendous feeling laying in the hospital bed and thinking to myself will I ever be able to pick up a bat again and head into the middle?" recollected Smit.

Having known my namesake and played against him right from our U-15 days, quitting was never a virtue you would associate with Smit. As a 16-year-old, with his eyes set on the India U19 cap, he chose to fend for himself by staying back in India after his family relocated to the US. After the U19 World Cup triumph, he chose to stay in the lonely pursuit of an India cap. He toiled away in the Indian first class circuit at times even for states like Tripura after being axed by Gujarat. He stayed on the circuit for 9 years and 4 of them away from wife Nirali, who was situated in the States. He took the bait of moving to the USA only after Covid had gripped the world with uncertainties.

Smit embarked on a tormenting journey to claim his life back, his body back within days from being discharged to the hospital. His dodgy knee mandated him to use the walker for the first month, a cast on the broken wrist and stitches on the other meant he had to rely on someone to be fed for the first couple of months. To make matters worse, night sweats and nightmares sneaked in as a part of his everyday life. His forehead injury debilitated his eye muscles to the point where he started experiencing momentary blackouts and tunnel vision after high physical exertion or strain to the eyes.

He knew it was a battle that he had to wake up and fight every day. He was scheduled to attend therapy every day for either concussion, shoulders and arms, neck and spine. He would then painstakingly be required to go through a few more exercises at home. Engulfed by the misery of rehab pain, a resolute Smit grinned and beared his way to almost a full recovery within a few months.

Being on bed rest for most of the time, Smit resorted to meditation and visualization while being away from the game. "I did visualize quite a lot. I can't stay away from the game. Even if I wasn't playing, I was mentally still out their marking my guard, tapping my crease and ready to face the next ball"

While he may not have yet mastered the art of visualization. He started reaping benefits as soon as he hit his comeback trail. Smit played his first competitive game in October that year in the Atlanta Open T20. He scored an 80 odd against the likes of Corne Dry, Amila Aponso and Rahkeem Cornwall and eventually finished with over 200 runs in 3 games. However, he admits he was completely sapped at the end of it all.

"After the Atlanta open, I found it difficult to recover. It was a relief to be back on the ground first and foremost and be batting in such a way. But fitness wise I still had a long way to go" added Smit.

Coming off the winter and while still managing his injury laden body, Smit failed to make a mark at the MLC Draft selection tournament. With question marks over his fitness and health, it almost seemed like franchises were about to offer a cold shoulder to the 30 year old, before he was snapped up by the San Francisco Unicorns as their last pick of the draft.

"I am back to full fitness. It feels like I have been reborn as a human being after my body was completely torn apart. I have emerged with a much stronger physique than I previously had. Come to think of it, the intense rehab has been a blessing to my body. I am itching to get out there and perform on the big stage. That is what has kept me going during the time of distress" added Smit.

Human grit can move mountains. It is this great coupled with his tenacity that has catapulted him from the face of death to chasing his dreams again.

* Please note: The writer of the piece and the subject of the story bear the same name but are different individuals

** Buy your MLC tickets on the official Major League Cricket website (https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/matches)