India will be missing KL Rahul for the World Test Championship Final against Australia at The Oval, with the star batter to undergo surgery on his right thigh
Surgery rules India's KL Rahul out of WTC Final
Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul will undergo surgery on his thigh, ruling him out of India's World Test Championship Final against Australia and the rest of the Indian Premier League season.
The 31-year-old was injured against Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this week, tearing a tendon in his right leg while fielding, and had to be helped off the ground.
He could not open Lucknow's innings in the run chase but came out to bat at No.11 and was unable to score off the three deliveries he faced in the penultimate over.
"After careful consideration and consultation with the medical team, it's been concluded that I'll be undergoing a surgery on my thigh shortly," Rahul wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"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."
The surgery will rule Rahul out of the WTC Final against Australia at The Oval from June 7-11.
He was named in the squad announced last month.
"Absolutely gutted that I won't be at The Oval next month with Team India," he wrote.
"I'll do everything I can to get back in blue and help my country. That has always been my focus and priority."
Lucknow are second in the 2023 IPL standings with 11 points, three behind leaders Gujarat Titans who have a game in hand.
World Test Championship Final
June 7-11: Australia v India, The Oval
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, David Warner
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
Find out everything you need to know for the World Test Championship Final here