IPL 2021: KL Rahul to be operated for appendicitis, side-lined for 10 days

Punjab Kings will encounter the loss of their skipper, KL Rahul, against Delhi Capitals along with a few upcoming matches in the run, as he has been reported to be hospitalised after severe abdominal discomfort.

With reports suggesting that he is to be operated on at the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai on Sunday night, the squad and team staff expect his return date to arrive after 10 days. It has also been brought to light that posterior to his surgery, KL Rahul will be rehabilitated in a bio bubble to prevent the risks amidst the pandemic.

Punjab Kings’ Twitter account tweeted an official statement regarding the diagnosis and the admission. Rahul experienced severe abdomen pain on Saturday night and was immediately attended to. However, the medication he received first hand did not yield positive results. KL Rahul thus had to be taken to the emergency room for tests, which revealed that he was suffering from acute appendicitis. It is deemed to be dealt with surgically, and for safety concerns, he was transferred to the hospital with immediate effect.

The wicketkeeper-batsman has been an invaluable asset to his team in the IPL this season. Being Punjab’s number 1 batsman, KL Rahul is at the summit of the Orange Cap Leader board with 331 runs after 7 matches played. The skipper boasts an impressive strike rate of 137 with a 66.6 average.

With him being off the pitch, two crucial positions in captain and wicketkeeper became vacant. Being an essential part of the team alongside national team representation has earned Ahmedabad’s Mayank Agarwal the skipper role in Rahul’s absence. Meanwhile, Prabhsimran Singh will put on the wicketkeeping gloves for the time being.

Having never won the IPL, losing a player who makes up one of the best opening pairs in the competition with Agarwal comes off as a hefty blow for Punjab Kings, who have won just three games of seven before facing Delhi Capitals on Sunday.