Karun Nair Replaces Injured KL Rahul at LSG for the Rest of the IPL 2023

On May 5, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) announced that Karun Nair, a Karnataka batter, would replace KL Rahul for the remainder of the IPL 2023 season. Due to a thigh injury, Rahul was informed that he would be out for the rest of the season and would require surgery, which would keep him out of action for some time.

On Friday, it was announced that Rahul will be unable to participate in the IPL and the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval in London, starting from June 7. According to a statement, Rahul has decided to undergo thigh surgery on the advice of the medical team.

“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,” the IPL said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the captain of the Lucknow-based franchise, Rahul, suffered an injury during a game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Following the injury, Rahul went to Mumbai for scans, which confirmed the need for surgery to fully recover.

“Rahul sustained a thigh injury while fielding during Match 43 of IPL 2023 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow,” the statement added.

Nair Elated to Join LSG

“Really happy to be joining the Super Giants. I wish KL (Rahul) a speedy recovery and hope he comes back stronger. Look forward to meeting my teammates very soon and contributing to the team,” said Karun Nair after joining LSG for the season.

Nair went unsold at the IPL 2023 auction despite having a base price of INR 50 lakh. He is also a batsman and has represented India in 6 Tests and 2 ODIs. In the IPL, he has scored 1171 runs in 76 matches at an average of 23.75 and has 10 fifties to his name.

Nonetheless, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have decided to add Nair to their team ahead of their game against Gujarat Titans on Sunday in Ahmedabad. LSG is currently in second place in the IPL 2023 points table with 11 points from 10 games. Nair’s addition could boost the team’s batting line-up as they aim to defeat the defending champions in the upcoming match.