Watch: Liton Das escapes major injury thanks to helmet after Kusal Mendis' pull shot hits keeper's head

Lucky Liton Das avoided a dangerous head injury after a pull shot from Kusal Mendis thumped onto his helmet. 
 By Kashish Chadha May 15, 2022, 18:19 IST
The toe end of Kusal Mendis' bat hurt keeper Liton Das. ?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Going for a pull shot down leg, Kusal Mendis' willow hit keeper Liton Das on the helmet in momentum. 

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batter Liton Das on Sunday (May 15) escaped a major injury after receiving a blow to his helmet from the bat of Sri Lankan right-hander Kusal Mendis. 

The worrying incident took place on Day 1 of the Test series opener in Chattogram between the two Asian neighbours. Facing off-spinner Nayeem Hasan's short ball, Mendis rocked onto the backfoot and unleashed a full-blooded pull shot. 

But the ball got too close to the right-hander and denied him a chance to make the optimum connection, while the uninterrupted momentum of the willow meant it bumped onto Das behind the stumps. 

Liton Das was struck dangerously on his helmet after the blow off the bat on his head, immediately bringing the player down on his legs with a concerned Mendis and the rest of the Bangladeshi players checking upon him. 

Liton Das saved by the helmet after a blow from Kusal Mendis' bat 

The incident happened in the back half of the 24th over in Sri Lanka's first-innings. Taking on a short ball from Hasan, Mendis played a thumping pull shot but got an insignificant connection straight into the hands of the short-third fielder. 

Also Read - Rinku Singh couldn't, but MS Dhoni once called for DRS from non-striker's end and succeeded

But the momentum of the willow took it near the keeper Liton Das, who received a dangerous blow on his helmet, escaping what could easily have been a major head injury. Das immediately went down on the turf and took off the helmet, before touching his forehead in pain. 

 

null


Still feeling the blow, Liton Das lay on the ground for a good few minutes while Mendis and the rest of the Bangladeshi fielders checked for the player's welfare. 

At a time when on-field concussion is one of cricket's biggest focus areas, the incident alarmed the umpires, too, while the Bangladesh medical support personnel gave the player the treatment he immediately needed. 

The incident also reinforced ICC's playing conditions, which now make it necessary for the wicketkeepers to wear the helmet to avoid being hit directly on the head. 

It is this protocol that saved Das and ensured he avoided a major injury. 

From around the web