'My Tendon Was Ripped Apart': KL Rahul Opens Up On His Injury Ahead Of Likely Comeback In Sunday's Asia Cup Fixture

Team India keeper-batter KL Rahul has revealed the extent of the injury that kept him out of action for over a couple of months. The 31-year-old recalled that the scans taken back then signalled a serious injury due to which he had to go under the knife or have a surgery.

Rahul, likely to mark his return in the Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match against Pakistan on Sunday in Colombo, hasn't played any cricket since the 1st week of May. During IPL 2023, the Karnataka-born opening batter suffered a thigh injury, ruling him out of the remaining matches of the tournament. Before Asia Cup 2023 began, head coach Rahul Dravid had clarified Rahul's availability for the first two games.

Speaking in a video uploaded by BCCI.tv, Rahul said he and his family were only hoping for a small tear, but were in for a bad news.

"I had a full fledged tear. My tendon was ripped apart from my quadriceps. So when it happened, my family, the franchise, the team, everybody had their fingers crossed hoping that wasn't a big tear, it was a small strain or I could get better in a couple of weeks. But once we did the scans in a couple of days we knew it was a full tear and it was clear that I could get better from this injury by undergoing under the knife."

"I felt like I could come back much before the Asia Cup" - KL Rahul

Rahul further revealed that his recovery process was derailed due to a niggle, resulting in delaying his comeback.

"Unfortunately, in the recovery process, I developed a small niggle just before I could come back into the team, which was a big downer. I was actually I ahead of the schedule, and I felt like I could come back much before the Asia Cup and give myself a lot of time and prepare myself really well."

If the 31-year-old returns for the clash against India, Ishan Kishan could be dropped.