Bengaluru: Injuries are an inevitable part of an athlete's life but for fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, they had become his life. Such has been the traumatic impact of the numerous breakdowns he has endured, his international career has barely reached the potential it promised as a gifted teenager.

Having created a buzz in his age-group days, a 19-year-old Prasidh was summoned to join the Karnataka team for a four-day match against Bangladesh A in Mysuru exactly a decade ago. Coach J Arun Kumar and bowling coach Mansur Ali Khan were impressed by the teenager's pace and in-swingers during pre-match practice sessions and decided he was ready to be handed a first-class debut.

Like every ambitious youngster, Prasidh gave it his all to make an instant impact with a 5/49 show in the first innings. The lanky pacer hoped it would be the beginning of a beautiful journey but, sadly, he has ended up spending more time in hospitals and recovery rooms than at the ground.

Just when he finally broke through in 2018 and started to find a permanent place in a talent-packed Karnataka team, he suffered a stress fracture on his left leg a year later. He bounced back from that and made his India debut in an ODI series against England in March 2021 but in August 2022, following a tour to Zimbabwe, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back.

It was a major injury that forced him to go under the knife.

A tenacious character deep inside that betrays his genteel demeanour, Prasidh fought it bravely to make a return during the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. He hoped his body would stay strong but during the game against Gujarat in January 2024, he pulled up after bowling just 14.5 overs. He had hurt his quadriceps and missed the remainder of the season as well as the IPL.

Despite another setback, Prasidh, once praised by Virat Kohli, wasn't willing to give up. He did another round of rehabilitation before returning to action last September in the Duleep Trophy.

Having missed out on plenty of cricket action, that too at his ripe age when the Indian pace attack went on to be hailed globally, Prasidh is finally looking like the bowler pundits envisioned he would be with a superb performance in the IPL so far for Gujarat Titans.

Using his tall frame to good effect, he lands the ball just a little short of a good length and extracts solid bounce that often causes batters discomfort.

His in-swing is intact while he's worked on his off-cutters. He has also developed a ball that holds its line and a potent yorker, turning himself into a potent package.

With 23 wickets, he is second in the list of wicket-takers this IPL and his consistently impressive shows saw the selectors pick him for the all-important five-Test tour of England. Prasidh, in all likelihood, will share the new-ball with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj at Old Blighty, an opportunity the 29-year-old must have been dreaming about all his life.

Masur reckoned Prasidh is wiser by the experience and special things could be in store.

"If you see this IPL as compared to his previous IPLs, he has drastically improved his length which is very important at the higher level. He has brought that length forward in his bowling. That is making wonders for him now," analysed Mansur.

"He has started to understand his body better. The first injury, he wanted to come back in a hurry and he got injured again. Even after the second injury, he tried rushing his comeback and things didn't go well.

"Now he knows his body. He understands his bowling better. He knows what lengths to bowl. He's just become a better package now."

If Prasidh can, it'll not only cement his stop-start career but provide a fillip to a young Indian side dreaming of causing an upset in England.