IPL 2021: KL Rahul admitted to hospital after complaining of a severe abdomen pain

Punjab Kings (PBKS) are set to face the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. But ahead of the game, they have been dealt with a severe blow as their skipper KL Rahul has been ruled out of the game. He complained of a severe abdomen pain on Saturday night and has now been admitted to the hospital for a surgery.

This is a huge dent to the Punjab Kings’ IPL campaign as there is no certainty over Rahul’s return as of now. He is the Orange Cap holder at the moment with 331 runs in seven matches and had smashed 91 runs off just 57 balls only in the last game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Punjab Kings released an official statement regarding the matter while revealed that he has been diagnosed with acute appendicitis. “KL Rahul complained of a severe abdomen pain last night and after not responding to medication, he was taken to the emergency room for further tests which revealed that he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis.

“It will be resolved surgically and for safety measures he has been transferred to the hospital for the same,” the statement from the franchise read.

Who will lead Punjab Kings?

KL Rahul seems set to be ruled out of at least a few matches now. This poses a serious question for the franchise in terms of leadership. In the last game, Chris Gayle led for some time when Rahul was out of the ground and it remain to be seen if the Universe Boss gets a chance to captain the team at least against the Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

Mandeep Singh, as of now, seems to be the likeliest candidate to replace KL Rahul or even Mayank Agarwal can come into the side after missing out in the previous game with Prabhsimran Singh retaining his place. There is also an option for Gayle to open the innings with Mayank, if fit, replacing Prabhsimran at the top while Mandeep might come in the middle order.