RCB receives huge blow after heel injury rules Rajat Patidar out of IPL

Patidar's injury is not the only problem the franchise is facing. There are doubts over Josh Hazlewood's participation as he is recovering from Achilles tendonitis. Will Jacks has also been ruled out of the tournament a couple of weeks before the start of the IPL.

RCB receives huge blow after heel injury rules Rajat Patidar out of IPL

Rajat Patidar

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is known for bringing uncapped Indian players into the limelight, and making them a star overnight courtesy of their superb performance in a match. Rajat Patidar‘s story is also similar. Owing to his carnage last year at the Eliminator, he was even picked up to represent the Men in Blue, but he is yet to make his international debut.

Last year, he went unsold at the mega-auction but due to Luvnith Sisodiya’s injury, Patidar was asked to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). And in the Eliminator, the 29-year-old slammed the fastest century by an Indian in the tournament’s history.

After Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli, Patidar became the third-highest run-scorer for the RCB franchise, with 333 runs from seven innings at a strike rate of 152.75. After IPL, his brilliant knocks in a title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign for Madhya Pradesh earned him the selectors’ call.

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Apart from Rajat Patidar, RCB’s three players also got injured

Apart from Rajat Patidar, RCB's three players also got injured
Josh Hazlewood

But ahead of this year’s IPL, Rajat Patidar picked up a heel injury and had been undergoing rehab at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru over the past few days. At first, there were reports that Patidar will make his comeback for the second half of the tournament. But now the franchise, on Tuesday (April 4) has announced that he has been ruled out of the entire tournament. But the coaches and management are yet to name a replacement.

“Unfortunately, Rajat Patidar has been ruled out of #IPL2023 due to an Achilles Heel injury,” RCB’s Twitter handle wrote. “We wish Rajat a speedy recovery and will continue to support him during the process. The coaches and management have decided not to name a replacement player for Rajat just yet,” the post added.

Patidar’s injury is not the only problem the franchise is facing. There are doubts over Josh Hazlewood‘s participation as he is recovering from Achilles tendonitis. Will Jacks has also been ruled out of the tournament a couple of weeks before the start of the IPL. He has been replaced by Michael Bracewell.

During RCB’s first match against Mumbai Indians, Reece Topley picked up a shoulder injury and did not appear later in the match. But he has traveled with the team to Kolkata for RCB’s upcoming assignment against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday (April 6).

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