Shivam Mavi, an India and Uttar Pradesh pacer, has been through a challenging journey with injuries defining much of his career. In a recent interview, he shared insights into his struggles with injuries, his recovery, and his approach to building a successful career despite setbacks.
Key Takeaways from Shivam Mavi’s Interview:
- Injury Struggles and Comeback:
- Mavi’s career has been repeatedly interrupted by injuries, even forcing him to leave the Lucknow Super Giants camp before IPL 2024 began due to a training injury.
- After recovering from multiple setbacks, Mavi had a strong domestic season, contributing match-winning performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and playing consistently in the Ranji Trophy.
- Despite this positive run, Mavi was overlooked in the IPL 2025 auction, which was a blow to his morale, though he remains optimistic and ready for any future opportunities, including potentially being an injury replacement.
- Adapting to Setbacks:
- Despite the frustrations, Mavi maintains a positive mindset, focusing on what he can control: his performance on the field. He shared how he kept himself occupied during rehab by watching matches and spending time with friends to prevent negative thoughts from creeping in.
- Managing Injuries and Improvements:
- Mavi has been working on tweaking his action to avoid future injuries. He believes his action wasn’t clean in the past, leading to frequent injuries, and now he’s committed to improving it to prolong his career and stay injury-free.
- He emphasizes the importance of maintaining a clean action, especially for fast bowlers who bowl at speeds like 145-150 km/h, and advises youngsters to focus on this aspect to prevent injuries.
- Motivating Factor:
- Mavi draws inspiration from senior players like Mohammed Shami, who mentioned the importance of perseverance after failure. Mavi sees injuries as part of the journey and is committed to using setbacks as opportunities to improve and make a successful comeback.
- Future Goals:
- His ultimate goal remains to play for India consistently, with hopes of an extended career. He learned a lot from his brief stint with the Indian team in 2023, especially from senior players like Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav.
- Mavi is focused on staying fit, refining his action, and keeping himself prepared for any call-ups in the future.
- Domestic Cricket and IPL:
- Mavi believes that having international stars play in domestic cricket will elevate the level of the game, offering valuable exposure for younger players. The presence of seasoned players helps build the credibility of domestic cricket and provides learning opportunities for aspiring cricketers.
- Advice to Young Cricketers:
- Mavi’s advice to young cricketers, especially bowlers, is to focus on developing a clean action and avoid overloading the body with excessive workloads, which can lead to injuries. He highlights that a bowler’s longevity depends on the care they take with their action and fitness.
Despite not being picked in the IPL auction this year, Mavi remains hopeful and determined to continue improving. His resilience and focus on the long-term goal of representing India keep him driven, and his journey serves as an inspiration to many young cricketers facing similar challenges.
