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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) announced Karun Nair as KL Rahul's replacement for the remained of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 on Friday (May 5).
“Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday named Karun Nair as a replacement for the injured KL Rahul for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023,” IPL said in a statement.
LSG have roped in the services of Nair for Rs 50 lakh for the rest of sixteenth season of the IPL. Notably, Nair has featured in 76 IPL games and has amassed 1496 runs. Nair, who couldn't attract any bidders in the IPL 2023 auction, played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022. The 31 year failed to click with the willow as he scored 37 runs in the last four years in IPL having missed the 2021 edition.
It will be interesting to see whether Nair gets an opportunity to feature in LSG's playing XI in their next match against defending champions Gujarat Titans on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
Rahul picked up a thigh injury while during LSG's IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on May 1. Four days later Rahul in an emotional post on Instagram, ruled himself out of the IPL 2023 and World Test Championship (WTC) final both to give LSG and Team Indian a massive jolt.
Rahul in his Instagram post said that he will be undergoing a surgery on his thigh shortly and subsequently will be focusing on his rehabilitation and recovery in the coming weeks.
"Update - 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.
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. @lucknowsupergiants," Rahul wrote on Instagram.
"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. @indiancricketteam
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.
Your encouragement and messages mean a lot to me and motivate me to come back stronger and fitter than ever before.
Meanwhile, 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 added.
LSG are now placed second in the IPL 2023's points table with five victories in a total of 10 matches.
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