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Shreyas Iyer’s horrific injury and the details being slowly uncovered put the sport in a completely different perspective. Cricket is completely non-contact, far from the obvious dangers of motorsports or even the barging and thumping of football and rugby. Phil Hughes’ unfortunate death was seen, after a point, as an extremely unlucky and rare incident that was never going to repeat with the right improvements in cricketing gear. And yet, Shreyas’ hospitalization is being described as ‘near-fatal’. He was just attempting a catch, and any mistakes from the medical teams could have resulted in circumstances that are unfathomable now. Thankfully, he now seems stable and out of the ICU. It gives us a chance to look back at some of the many other cricketers who suffered life-threatening incidents, some on the field and others off it, but recovered from them bravely. Nari Contractor (India) – The Indian opener suffered a fractured skull after being struck by a bouncer from West Indies’ Charlie Griffith in 1962, leaving him unconscious for six days. He miraculously survived after multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, but never played Test cricket again. (PC: Ravi Shastri/X) Tamim Iqbal (Bangladesh) – In March 2025, Tamim suffered a heart attack during a domestic match in Dhaka and was revived through timely CPR before undergoing emergency angioplasty. Doctors said his quick treatment saved his life. (Picture Credit: AFP) Ian Botham (England) – The former England all-rounder fell into a crocodile and bull shark-infested river in northern Australia during a fishing trip last year. He was rescued within seconds, escaping with only bruises from what could have been a fatal mishap. (PC: @DurhamCricket) Ewen Chatfield (New Zealand) – On his Test debut in 1975, Chatfield was struck on the temple by a bouncer, lost consciousness, and his heart briefly stopped before being revived by medical staff. The incident led to significant changes in player safety awareness. WV Raman (India) – Former India cricketer and coach WV Raman went into anaphylactic shock after taking medication, briefly losing consciousness and experiencing cardiac arrest. He later described the experience as “embracing death for 60 seconds.”(Photo by Saikat Das /SPORTZPICS for BCCI) Andrew Hall (South Africa) – Hall survived a 1998 shooting at an ATM when he was hit by six bullets and later endured an armed carjacking in 2002. Despite both terrifying incidents, he recovered fully and continued his cricket career. Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) – In January 2015, 19-year-old Pooran suffered severe ankle and knee injuries in a car accident in Trinidad that required two surgeries. His determined comeback saw him rise to become West Indies’ white-ball captain and a global T20 star. Sri Lanka Cricket Team (2009 Lahore Attack) – On March 3, 2009, the Sri Lankan cricket team’s bus was ambushed by terrorists in Lahore while en route to the Gaddafi Stadium for a Test match. The assault left several players, including Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera, injured and six security personnel dead, but thanks to the bravery of the bus driver and quick police response, all players survived the life-threatening attack. Rishabh Pant (India) – Pant survived a horrific car crash on December 30, 2022, that left him with serious back and leg injuries after his car hit a divider and caught fire. Incredibly, he returned to cricket within 15 months, helping India to T20 World Cup glory in 2024. (Picture Credit: AP) Shreyas Iyer (India) – During an ODI against Australia in Sydney, Iyer suffered a laceration injury to his spleen after a diving catch, briefly losing consciousness and being rushed to the ICU. Doctors later revealed that the quick response from the physio and team doctor likely saved his life. (AP Photo)
