India’s star opener KL Rahul has ruled himself out from the remainder of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 as well as the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against Australia next month. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper sustained a nasty injury during the 43rd match of the cash-rich league against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and was forced to leave the field immediately.
Rahul also did not feature in the next match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and the Lucknow-based side was led by Krunal Pandya in his absence. However, the match couldn’t be completed and was called off due to rain.
The 31-year-old Karnataka cricketer has now confirmed that he won’t be able to represent LSG in the remaining season and will also not be part of the WTC Final at the Oval in England as he will be undergoing thigh surgery to treat his injury in the coming days.
Rahul took to his official Instagram handle to inform about the news and wrote:
“After careful consideration and consultation with the medical team, it’s been concluded that I’ll be undergoing a surgery on my thigh shortly. My focus will be on my rehabilitation and recovery in the coming weeks. It’s a tough call to make, but I know it’s the right one to ensure a full recovery.
As the team captain, it pains me deeply not to be able to be there during this crucial period. But, I’m confident that the boys will rise to the occasion and give their best performance as always. I’ll be cheering for them from the sidelines with all of you, watching every game. @lucknowsupergiants
Absolutely gutted that I won’t be at the Oval next month with Team India. I’ll do everything I can to get back in blue and help my country. That has always been my focus and priority. @indiancricketteam
I want to express gratitude to each one of you – my fans, that gave me the strength to get back up, the LSG management and the BCCI for their promptness, and my teammates for their unwavering support during this difficult time.
Your encouragement and messages mean a lot to me and motivate me to come back stronger and fitter than ever before.
Meanwhile, I promise to keep you all updated on my progress, and hope to be back on the field sooner than soon. The last few days have been really hard, but I’m determined to come out on top.”
Notably, LSG have performed superbly under Rahul’s leadership so far and will surely miss his services in the remaining season. The Lucknow-based side are currently on the second position of the IPL 2023 points table and are expected to be captained by Krunal from here on. Meanwhile, the 31-year-old cricketer’s injury is also a big blow for the Indian team, who will face Australia in the WTC final next month.
