Deepika’s Fight: How the hockey star returned more powerful than before

As the Indian women’s hockey team celebrated the FIH Nations Cup title win last week, earning a well-deserved promotion back to the top tier FIH Pro League, Deepika Sehrawat took a moment for herself.

For Deepika, who was the joint highest goal scorer in the tournament, the moment marked the glorious end to a gruelling year-long battle against her own body.

Her nightmare began on 29 August last year when she picked up a Grade III hamstring tear during a match. The hamstring was completely ruptured and it required an intensive rehabilitation process.

While her teammates battled on the field over the next ten months, Deepika waged a quiet, solitary war inside the gym. She was trapped in a frustrating, repetitive cycle of rest and rehabilitation, while also grappling with the heavy mental toll that came with it.

“It is easy to get demoralised in such a situation,” said Deepika in a conversation with The Bridge, days after guiding India back to the FIH Pro League.

“But they supported me a lot, saying I would definitely make a comeback and be even more powerful than before,” she added.

The “they” she refers to are the Indian hockey team’s designated physios, strength and conditioning coaches – Wayne Lombard, Ciara Yila, and Rodet Yila – who rebuilt her body and confidence step by step.

As a drag flicker, core stability and explosive physical strength are essential for Deepika. The trainers had to ensure that her body could handle those strenuous tasks without breaking down again.

It was because of this extra caution from the trainers and newly appointed head coach Sjoerd Marijne that Deepika was not included in the Indian team for the FIH World Cup qualifiers in March earlier this year. She had already started training a month before it.

“Sjoerd came in when I was injured. So, I was worried what my initial impression would be,” recalled Deepika.

“But he was very clear with what he expected out of me. I had scored in a match against Netherlands, whom he was coaching, before I got injured. He told me, ‘Not anyone can score that goal.’”

“When I was not included in the team for World Cup qualifiers he made me understand that it was just because he wanted me to be fully fit. He personally spoke to the strength and conditioning team to ensure that I’m not rushed into competing,” she added.

Despite the safety net, doubts still lingered in Deepika’s mind – Would she be as fast? Would the agonizing pain return? As the Nations Cup approached, her anxiety peaked.

“There was no pressure from their end to immediately start scoring even when I was named in the Nations Cup squad after a long break,” she said.

That freedom with no pressure helped her shake off the pre-match jitters. The moment she finally stepped onto the pitch for her first game, the doubts evaporated. Her movements felt natural, the game's rhythm returned instantly, and the ghosts of her injury were left behind on the sidelines.

“Of course, my tournament went very well, perhaps even better and more than I had imagined," she said, having netted six goals for India.

However, playing without external pressure from the management doesn’t mean an elite athlete operates without self-expectations. Doubling up as a forward and a drag flicker, it is invariable that her teammates turn to her for a moment of inspiration whenever the match seems to be slipping away.

Navigating those intense moments is an art she is continuously improving upon.

“The main thing is not to squeeze myself too hard while hitting the PC, thinking that I only see 'goal, goal, goal'," Deepika explained, detailing her mature mental approach to high-stakes moments.

“Instead, I just need to focus on my skill and finish it 100%, hitting it exactly where I was instructed,” she added.

But where does this mental fortitude to push through adversity on and off the field come from?

For Deepika, the answer to this lies far away from the astroturf. She insists it is rooted in her family heritage.

When the darkest days of rehab threatened to overwhelm her, a simple phone call from her family would instantly put her back on track.

“My father keeps stating that we come from a wrestling family. Whenever I spoke to them, they kept reiterating that ‘we are strong and we shouldn’t be afraid of injuries,’” revealed Deepika.

The 22-year-old from Hisar now goes back to the advice whenever she feels the pressure during matches. She is slowly learning to focus strictly on the process and leave the uncontrollable elements out of it.

With the Nations Cup title in the bag, Deepika has already shifted her focus towards the upcoming 2026 FIH Women’s World Cup and the 2026 Asian Games and the work she needs to put in to score even more.

“I need to work more on my finishing as a striker,” she said. “You can't just stop working because things are going well".

But for now, Deepika is back and as her trainers promised her, she is more powerful than before.