By – Prakarsh Kastwar
Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul’s frequent injuries are dragging India down.
Ravindra Jadeja is 35, KL Rahul is 31, and their total amount of injuries since 2021 is 11. Yes, their bodies have been that weak for the past three years. Jadeja and Rahul are currently missing more matches for India than they play, which is harming India to some extent. Their unlucky injury streak is not only disrupting the team’s combination, but also depriving young players of a lengthier run in the Playing XI. Jadeja has been injured five times in the last three years, compared to Rahul’s eight, which is a major concern.
Is age catching up? Is playing non-stop cricket a deterrent? Possibly. However, they cannot avoid the truth that their bodies are deteriorating. As Jadeja and Rahul are poised to miss the second Test against England starting Friday – and potentially more – we take a look at the long list of injuries the two India stars have faced since 2021.
Ravindra Jadeja
1 Thumb injury (January to March ’21): During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Ravindra Jadeja dislocated his thumb while batting in Sydney. Jadeja suffered a left thumb injury after Mitchell Starc’s shot delivery flew into him. The scans later revealed a fracture, keeping Jadeja out of the home series against England.
2 Forearm injury (November ’21 to February ’22): Jadeja was removed from the second Test against New Zealand due to a swelling forearm detected during scans. Jadeja was believed to be out of action for an extended amount of time, missing the South Africa tour before returning for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.
3 Rib injury (May to June ’22): Following a difficult stint as Chennai Super Kings captain, Jadeja was sidelined for the duration of the IPL 2022 due to a bruised rib. He sustained the injury while fielding against Royal Challengers Bangalore. He returned for the delayed fifth Test between India and England from the previous year, but his setbacks did not stop there.
4 Knee injury (August ’22 to February ’23): Indian cricket suffered a setback when Jadeja injured his knee during the Asia Cup and had to miss the next six months due to surgery. He missed the T20 World Cup, a tour of Bangladesh, and home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand before making his long-awaited return in the Test series against Australia, having worked hard for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.
5 Hamstring (January ’24): Jadeja was ruled out of the second Test against England after injuring his hamstring on the fourth day of the series opener in Hyderabad. He returned to the NCA and posted a picture of it with the caption ‘Home for the next several days’, which substantially reduces his prospects of playing the last four matches.
KL Rahul
1 Wrist strain (January 2021): Rahul hurt his wrist before the third Test in Sydney, ruling him out of the 2020/21 BGT. He had also missed the first two Tests and had to return to the NCA after being unable to contribute to India’s famous series victory.
2 Appendicitis (May ’21): In the middle of the IPL, Rahul had appendicitis surgery. The Punjab Kings made a statement ahead of their IPL 2021 match against the Delhi Capitals, saying he had severe appendicitis. Rahul had scored 331 runs in 7 innings before his participation in the tournament was cut short.
3 Thigh strain (November ’21): Rahul withdrew from the two-Test series against New Zealand at home due to a thigh strain.
4 Groin/sports hernia (June ’22): The day before leading India against South Africa in a home T20I series, Rahul was pulled out with what appeared to be a groin injury. It flared up into a sports hernia, necessitating Rahul’s surgery. He recovered from a lengthy injury layoff in August, one month before the Asia Cup.
5 Thigh Injury (May 23): KL Rahul was ruled out for the remainder of the IPL 2023 after damaging his thigh while chasing the ball. The severity of the injury required Rahul to miss three months of activity, including the World Test Championship final and the West Indies and Ireland tour.
6 Quadriceps injury (January ’24): After recuperating well and performing admirably in the World Cup, Asia Cup, and South African tour, Rahul is back on the sidelines after complaining of pain in his right quadriceps, forcing him to miss the Vizag Test against England.