Rahul tore a tendon in his right leg while chasing a ball in the second over of their match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 3. He had to be helped off the field at that point, and did not return until a chase of 127 got unexpectedly tense. The 31-year-old walked out to bat at No. 11 in the hopes of winning the game. But he was unable to run between the wickets, which resulted in the No. 9 Amit Mishra facing every single ball of the last over. LSG eventually lost by 18 runs1.
What is the extent of Rahul’s injury?
Rahul took to Instagram to say he will need surgery and was “absolutely gutted” to not be able to play at the Oval next month. “My focus will be on my rehabilitation and recovery in the coming weeks,” Rahul’s post said. "It’s a tough call to make, but I know it’s the right one to ensure a full recovery."1
The usual timeframe for an athlete to return to full activity after a thigh injury surgery, with proper therapy and rehabilitation, which Rahul is expected to undergo at Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy, is between six and 12 weeks2. This means that Rahul will miss the rest of the IPL, as well as the WTC final, which is scheduled from June 18 to 22.
How will Rahul’s absence affect India and LSG?
Rahul’s injury is a big blow for both India and LSG, as he is one of their key players in limited-overs cricket. Rahul has been India’s first-choice opener in ODIs and T20Is since late 2019, and has also taken up the wicketkeeping role in both formats. He has scored 2,112 runs in 49 ODIs at an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 90.06, with six hundreds and 11 fifties. He has also scored 1,557 runs in 46 T20Is at an average of 39.92 and a strike rate of 144.92, with two hundreds and 12 fifties
In the IPL, Rahul has been one of the most consistent and prolific run-scorers in the last six seasons. He has scored over 500 runs in each of the last five seasons, becoming the only Indian to do so. He is also the second-highest run-getter in IPL history, behind only Virat Kohli, with 6,353 runs in 143 matches at an average of 50.02 and a strike rate of 137.67, with six hundreds and 44 fifties2. He has also led LSG to the playoffs in their debut season in IPL 2022, and has them in second place on the points table this season, with five wins from 10 games.
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