India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that KL Rahul has no serious injury concern after the batter retired hurt for 77 on the first day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka on Saturday (August 15). According to Kotak, Rahul was fine after the dominating performance for India, saying the opener will bat again on Sunday.

Rahul was seen in pain after coming out to bat following the tea break in Galle. He was unable to move his fingers and was given treatment by the team physio, but the player couldn’t carry on, leaving the field, with Shubman Gill taking his place.

India managed 288 for 2, with KL Rahul facing 162 balls in his innings. Devdutt Padikkal was unbeaten on 131 off 178.

“KL Rahul batted well, but cramps impacted him. However, he was fine by the end of the day. Once a player starts getting cramps, you feel the pain in the hamstring, groin and hand. But he looked fine after a break. He should be ready to bat tomorrow,” Kotak said.

Kotak lauded the batter for his contribution with the bat. “He bats lower down the order in one-day internationals. When a senior batter is ready to bat at any number, I feel he is a great player. He is very useful for a team. In Test cricket, he plays as an opener, but in ODIs he bats wherever required. He is taking a lot of responsibility and is stitching partnerships. This is something good to have, and he is very consistent,” he added.

Rahul has been among the runs since opening the batting in the longest format of the game. He was promoted in the batting order during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia and has become a permanent opener since Rohit Sharma’s retirement before the England tour in 2025.