Murali Sreeshankar Eyes Big Jump At CWG 2026 After Comeback From Career-Threatening Injury

Murali Sreeshankar is confident his finest performances are still ahead as the Indian long jumper prepares for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, insisting that an even bigger leap is on the horizon after overcoming a career-threatening injury.

The 27-year-old has enjoyed an impressive return this season following surgery in 2024, re-establishing himself among India's leading athletes. After claiming silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with an effort of 8.08m, Sreeshankar has bounced back strongly and matched his personal best of 8.38m at the Inter-State Championships in Bhubaneswar.

Despite equalling his career-best mark, the Kerala athlete believes he has only scratched the surface of what he is capable of producing.

"But there is something which I feel is that there is a big jump still in me," Sreeshankar said during a virtual interaction, as quoted by PTI.

"Everybody was happy because I got an 8.38m jump in Bhubaneswar. But I certainly felt... it was not an 8.38 day. We were just happy because I got my good jump after surgery. There is a big jump which is coming for sure."

Sreeshankar credited his successful comeback to the rehabilitation process, saying the recovery period allowed him to improve several aspects of his athleticism.

"My physical conditions are back to how they were before the injury, or even much better. My speed has improved, my jumping abilities have improved. It's just about connecting everything together."

The resurgence of Indian men's long jump has been another major talking point this season, with several athletes consistently clearing the eight-metre barrier. Sreeshankar believes the heightened domestic competition is raising standards across the discipline and pushing everyone to improve.

"I went into the Inter-State Championships as only the fourth-ranked jumper in India. We have four jumpers above 8.20m and two above 8.30m. The Indian long jump standard has gone up pretty much high," he said.

"The best is yet to come because now eight metres has become a very normal mark. Earlier it used to be such a huge barrier."

Sreeshankar also believes Indian athletics is going through one of its strongest phases, highlighted by a string of national records and breakthrough performances across field events.

Ancy Sojan recently broke Anju Bobby George's 23-year-old women's long jump national record with a leap of 6.88m, while Sarvesh Kushare cleared 2.31m in the high jump and Rohit Yadav crossed the 87m mark in the javelin throw.

"If you take the performance index of Indian athletics this year, it's probably the best ever. We have seen a lot of national records and personal bests. The quality of performances is comparable with global standards in many field events," Sreeshankar said to PTI.

Looking ahead to Glasgow, Sreeshankar hopes to upgrade the silver medal he won in Birmingham four years ago. He said his preparations have been focused on peaking for the Commonwealth Games before turning his attention to the Asian Games, which follows shortly after.

"Last time I won a silver with 8.08m. This time the chances are looking really good to hopefully change the colour of the medal."

Training in Poland has also helped the Indian star adapt to the Mondo track and weather conditions expected in Scotland.

"I haven't kept any ceiling for my jump. I'm just trusting the process. Once everything comes together, a big jump is very much possible," Sreeshankar said.

Having regained full fitness and confidence, Sreeshankar now heads to Glasgow aiming not only to improve the colour of his Commonwealth Games medal but also to deliver the breakthrough performance he believes is still waiting to happen.