KL Rahul was at Royal Challengers Bangalore’s team hotel on Thursday morning (April 20), catching up with his teammates.
His left shoulder, supported by a fancy sling, was hard to miss. Despite the urge to play, the invaluable Rahul will have to be with his team only in spirit this season. Rahul has taken the blow – which may keep him out of the Indian team for the Champions Trophy – in his stride. The top-order bat was operated on by shoulder injury specialist Dr Lennard Funk on April 10 at the Arm Clinic in England. The 25-year-old returned to the city on Saturday.
Rahul injured his shoulder in the opening Test against Australia in Pune earlier this year. He completed the four-match series in pain and emerged as the second-highest rungetter for India behind Cheteshwar Pujara (405) with 393 runs from 7 innings. “I have to wait and see but the chances are slim,” he said about playing in the Champions Trophy starting in England from June 1.
Explaining why he needed surgery, Rahul said: “I had torn my labrum (a ring of fibrocartilage attached to the shoulder socket). I couldn’t get into a few positions because my shoulder kept dislocating. That’s why I couldn’t play a lot of shots and had to restrict myself. I played with a lot of medication and taping.”
On the recovery period, he added: “The doctor said it will take 2-3 months. Each body is different, so you don’t know how it recovers. It is totally up to me and how I well I take care of myself in the rehab phase. For now, it is 2-3 weeks of relaxing and after that, I will start physiotherapy. My rehab will start from there.”
Rahul admitted the injury took everyone by surprise. “It is a sports injury but the doctor was surprised it happened because of batting,” he said. “It mostly happens in contact sports where people run into you.
“The physio (Patrick Farhart) was surprised because there was no such major incident. It was that moment in Pune when I played a shot – not the one I got out to, but the one that went for six (he lofted Steve O’Keefe down the ground). That’s when I knew that my shoulder dislocated and went back in. I got out playing the same shot, so by then it was completely damaged. I couldn’t do anything after that.”
Rahul, who has missed crucial matches through injury since making his Test debut against Australia in 2014, said time on the sidelines was difficult, but felt it gave him time to introspect. “It is frustrating for a young man who is new to international cricket – it’s been two-and-a-half years now. I’ve already been injured twice or thrice. It makes me think about what I am doing wrong,” he said.
“I can’t see any reason why I keep getting injured because I am disciplined with my fitness and my diet and I look after my body. Now is the time to see what I can change in training. To be injury-free is wishful thinking for a sportsman. To be fit and minimize injuries will be my goal once I get back,” said Rahul.
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