Injuries are part of Cricket but some are so dangerous they can cut short even the brightest careers. Fast bowlers, specially, are constantly at risk and a single injury can force them to step away from the game for good.
With modern schedules getting tighter and players taking on more matches across formats, the chances of serious injury have gone up. Here are five such injuries that continue to cause concern.
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5 cricket injuries that can destroy careers and still threaten the game’s biggest stars
Cricket injuries range from minor muscle pulls to long-term damage that needs surgery or lengthy rehab. But some are especially bad as they hit hard, take long to heal and often return even after treatment.
These include injuries to the spine, knees, shoulders, and ankles. Let’s look at the most common ones ruining careers today.
1. Stress fracture
One of the most serious injuries in cricket is a lumbar stress fracture, especially for fast bowlers. It happens when the spine faces constant stress from repetitive high-impact actions.
Jasprit Bumrah is the best-known example in recent years. He has suffered multiple fractures in his lower back, the most recent one during India’s tour of Australia in January 2025, forcing him out of the Champions Trophy.
Bumrah had already undergone surgery once in 2023, but experts like Shane Bond believe that another fracture could end his career. Bumrah’s unusual action only makes it harder for him.
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2. ACL tear
An ACL tear is a knee injury where a band called the anterior cruciate ligament gets stretched or torn. This usually happens during sports when someone suddenly stops, changes direction quickly, or jumps and lands awkwardly.
If you have this injury, you might feel pain, swelling, a pop in the knee, and your knee might feel weak or unstable.
3. Meniscus tear
A meniscus tear is a common knee injury. The meniscus is a small, C-shaped piece of cartilage in your knee. It works like a cushion between your thighbone and shinbone. When it gets torn, it can cause pain, swelling, and make your knee feel stuck or like it might give way.
READ: How India defeated England at Edgbaston without Bumrah?
4. Shoulder dislocation and rotator cuff
A shoulder dislocation happens when the upper arm bone (called the humerus) comes out of the shoulder socket (called the glenoid). This injury often causes a lot of pain and makes it hard to move your arm.
When this happens, the rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons around the shoulder, can also get hurt. In many cases, there can be a tear in the rotator cuff, especially in older people.
5. Achilles tendon injury
Achilles tendon injuries are common in cricket, especially for fast bowlers. These include tendonitis (which is swelling and pain) and tears (when the tendon breaks).
They usually happen because of the repeated strong movements during bowling, when the bowler’s foot hits the ground and puts a lot of pressure on the tendon.
To prevent this, it’s important to warm up properly, do regular stretching, and increase training slowly so the tendon can handle the load.