For Abhinav Manohar, the off-season was meant to be a breather. After a testing IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he had imagined a short holiday to recharge before turning his focus to the domestic circuit, beginning with the Maharaja Trophy T20 in August. Instead, he spent those weeks at home, first laid low by jaundice and then a viral fever, watching the strength he had built over years slip away in a matter of weeks.
“I wanted to go for a holiday. But then I couldn’t do that because I felt sick. And the doctor said I can’t travel for about 45 days,” recalls the 30-year-old Karnataka batter in a chat with Cricbuzz, his voice carrying the weight of those difficult weeks. “So, I was at home. Trying to just get better. And because of that, I’ve lost a lot of muscle. As you can see on TV, I look a little different person. I’ve lost a lot of muscle.”
The timing couldn’t have been worse. After a challenging IPL 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he struggled to find his rhythm in a star-studded batting lineup, Manohar needed time on the field, not on the sidelines. What he got instead was forced stillness, the kind that tests not just the body but the mind.
“Back-to-back illnesses have taken a toll on my body. But that happens, I mean. I’m just focusing on getting fit now. Fit and healthy, basically,” he says with the pragmatic acceptance that defines his approach to cricket’s inevitable ups and downs.
It wasn’t the first time his journey had demanded resilience. Just three years earlier, Manohar had been living a very different script. In 2021, barely known beyond Karnataka cricket circles, he received a call that would change his life forever.
“I think it all started off the previous day when the coaches called me and said, I’ll make my debut the next day in the pre-quarters. So, I was excited about that,” he remembers. “And then when it came to the game, I didn’t really get a chance to think too much about it because we fielded first and then when it came to batting, I was sitting in the dressing room and a few wickets fell. So, I didn’t get to really process what was going on out there.”
Walking in at 60 for 4 while chasing 146 against Saurashtra, Manohar announced his arrival with an unbeaten 70 off 49 balls, smashing six maximums to guide Karnataka to a memorable victory. “So, just went in there to bat and then reacted to the entire situation and things fell in place.”
