It is a massive blow for both the franchise and the Indian team.
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have suffered a massive blow as their regular captain and opener, KL Rahul, has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2023. Rahul sustained a thigh injury while fielding against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Lucknow on Monday (May 1).
The LSG captain was in severe pain, which was visible right after he landed on the ropes in an attempt to save the boundary, and required the support of his teammates to limp off the field. Rahul didn’t take the field for the rest of the first innings but had to come in to bat at No. 11 amidst a poor show by his batters.
However, Rahul couldn’t even move properly, which again confirmed that the injury might be a serious one. In the following game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after a day break, KL Rahul didn’t feature for his team but was seen wandering on the ground.
Initially, Rahul was expected to miss a few games only, but it now seems that the injury is severe enough to keep him completely away from the action. It is a big setback for the LSG, who are currently sitting in the second position on the points table.
KL Rahul is out of the rest of the IPL season, and his availability for the WTC Finals, scheduled to be played just after the conclusion of the league in June, is also under threat. While it is not confirmed yet, there is a huge possibility that KL Rahul might not make it to London next month for the Finals against Australia.
Earlier, the news broke out that the BCCI had decided to handle KL Rahul’s case themselves. His medical treatment will also be done under the guidance of the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
KL Rahul has gone to Mumbai for scans to get the exact details about this injury. However, the results of the reports haven’t been revealed yet.
In KL Rahul’s absence, Krunal Pandya will continue leading the LSG side. The team has not announced the replacement player for KL Rahul as of now.
