India's top-order batter KL Rahul on Friday ruled himself out of the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia and will undergo a thigh surgery on the advice of his medical team.
Rahul, the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants franchise, has been ruled out for an indefinite period due to the injury he sustained during an Indian Premier League game against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this week.
The other players who are not available due to injuries are Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant.
The WTC final will be played at the Oval in London from June 7.
"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," Rahul said in a statement he uploaded on his social media handles.
"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," he added.
Meanwhile, his IPL franchise too issued a press release saying the batter has suffered a significant tear to his tendon and was facing a "lengthy layoff".
"... Further tests and scans have unfortunately confirmed a significant tear to his tendon which will require surgery," LSG said in the release.
"We are continuing to provide all possible support to KL at this difficult time and are working with him to ensure the best care on his road to recovery. However, the extent of the injury means that he is set for a lengthy layoff, which will include the remainder of this IPL season." Rahul injured himself while trying to stop a boundary against RCB at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, after which he limped off the field with the help of team physio and a player who was in the reserve's list.
"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," Rahul said.
"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." Chasing 127 in the game on Monday, Rahul returned to bat at number 11 but struggled to run between the wickets, as RCB won in the last over.
"... 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.
"Injuries are never easy, but I'll give it my all as always. Thank you for all the support and good wishes," Rahul said.
In the absence of their regular skipper, experienced all-rounder Krunal Pandya led the team against RCB and in its next game against Chennai Super Kings, which ended in a no result after LSG struggled to 125/7 in 19.2 overs batting first.
"His presence on and off the field will be sorely missed by the Super Giants, as we continue our push to reach the playoffs for the second consecutive year. We can't wait to see KL back on the field doing what he does best, and hope he gets back as soon as possible," the franchise added.
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