KL Rahul says that his recovery was according to the schedule, and before the Asia Cup, he hoped to be fully fit, but his return was delayed due to complications.
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul discussed his long-term thigh injury, his stay at Bangalore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA), his rehabilitation from surgery, his worry of never being able to play again, and the issues that prevented him from returning sooner.
“I’m feeling good, obviously coming back with the team feels great. Although I’ve been gone from the game for a while, returning now feels fantastic, and everything did indeed happen at the correct time. So, I’m happy that I could tick all the boxes,” he told BCCI.tv.
Incident happens with KL Rahul
Injury:
Captain KL Rahul of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) talked in detail about his injury.During a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rahul got injured while attempting a dive to save a boundary; he screamed in pain and clutched his leg.A stretcher was called, but he was sent back because Rahul was attempting to get up after making a valiant effort, and he was struggling after getting up.
“I tried to chase a ball, and I got injured when I was trying to dive, and my quadriceps got separated.
So, when this happened, obviously, I, my family, the franchise, the team, everyone was hopeful that it’s not a big injury, it’s just a small strain or I can get better in a few weeks,” he recalled.
“But when we scanned a few days later, we found out that it was completely torn, and it was very clear that I had to go through this injury, go under the knife,” the man added.
Road to Recovery:
Rahul openly discussed going under the knife and how things were resolved quickly and with support from the BCCI and his family members.
I mean, I’m not, I’m no specialist, but the physio immediately realized that surgery was the only solution, and that was the path we had to follow. We had a few conversations, but as soon as we viewed the scan, we were certain.I want to thank the BCCI, the physiotherapists, and the medical professionals who were engaged in making sure I got the best care and saw the best surgeon. To truly choose where to get surgery and the finest surgeon, it took us a few days.
And I want to thank the BCCI, the physical therapist, and all the physicians involved in this case for making sure I got the best care possible, went to visit a specialist, and everything was taken care of quite quickly,” he said.You really need the support of your friends and family at that point.
Fear:
The biggest challenge for Indian wicketkeeper KL Rahul during his comeback was gaining control over mental obstacles after a severe quadriceps injury, which had kept him in stress for nearly four months.
The most crucial aspect of having surgery is understanding that your body has undergone significant modifications and repairs; as a result, you must accept that and give your body enough time to heal. I think skill-wise, at least for me, I knew that I just needed a few weeks or three weeks max to get back into cricket,” he said.
“The big thing,” he continued, “was to mentally feel confident in my body, to be pain-free, and to be able to perform activities that require a lot of intensity.” Rahul also discussed his mental health and his phobia of wicketkeeping.To concentrate on his cricketing abilities and get ready for the trials of the Asia Cup, he needed to get over this impediment.
“I knew that coming back, I would have to do wicketkeeping as well. The fact that wicketkeeping would be the most difficult position to play because of the quadriceps injury caused the physios and me great concern.
“When you squat for every ball while wicketkeeping, you need a lot of strength in your quads, and you need support to deal with it. Your body must be supported, and you must be pain-free. And many times, it’s also like you’re fighting a big mental battle, where you’re always thinking about what if I feel pain. And when you’re in that frame of mind, it’s difficult to start concentrating on your abilities.
“So, the biggest challenge was to break free from that fear and get rid of the pain-related aspects of things.And once you get through that, and it can only happen when you pass that pain point, then it can only be when you start pushing things forward step by step.”
As I previously mentioned, I was under the care of some excellent physiotherapists and trainers at the NCA who helped me through everything and knew when to push me and when to hold back. Once this happened, then skill came back, I started running, and everything began,” he said.
Shock:
The 31-year-old had to return to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore to be in shape for the Asia Cup.He was compelled to miss the tournament’s first two group games due to a “setback,” though.
“Unfortunately, during the recovery process, just before coming back with the team, I had a minor setback, which was a significant setback, I was really ahead in terms of the right time, and I thought I could come back well before the Asia Cup and give myself enough time and really prepare myself,” he said.
“But unfortunately, another setback held me back a few weeks.So yes, I went through some ups and downs even during the recovery period.So it is a component of it.I was mentally prepared, so I think it was relatively easy.”
He added, “The big thing was that I wanted to feel confident in my body and be pain-free, and to start doing those activities where there’s a lot of intensity involved.” Rahul also talked about the return process not being monotonous this time; he genuinely enjoyed the process from start to finish.
“This time it was quite strange.The second time when I had my surgery or injuries came, I usually get bored doing physio-like things, which are not as beneficial as playing cricket, but I try to enjoy it.I believe it to have been fairly simple.
Coming Back:
Reports from Colombo indicate that Rahul is handling the ball with finesse, just as he did before his thigh injury. In the face of speed and spin, he appears at ease.Rahul mentioned that the improvement was so incredible that it motivated him to return to the field as soon as possible.
“In a way, it feels like I’ve been gone for four months, but it hasn’t really felt like that long.It genuinely happened very quickly.There were days or a few weeks that felt slow, but mostly everything was happening very rapidly, and I was taking training, and I was getting better every day.I understood that, he said.”So, it felt good to go back and feel even better and more motivated.So, each day got better, 2%, 1%. And as soon as you notice the improvement, you’re motivated to return.I believe it has been quite beneficial for me,” he remarked.
Even though I’ll be in the middle, bowling 100 overs and keeping for 50, I’m happy to be back with the team and in the game. I’ll continue to struggle for as long as it takes since I’m eager to return on the cricket field. We are participating in one of the top competitions not related to the World Cup. In the coming week and ten days, we will play some top-notch opponents. Thus, I’m quite enthusiastic about it. I’ve done my homework and have faith in my skills,” he concluded.