Skippers Axar Patel and Ajinkya Rahane suffered injuries during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
Axar injured his hand while fielding at midwicket in the 18th over and left the field. However, he returned to bat and scored a brisk 23-ball 43 in his team’s 14-run loss to Knight Riders.
“I dragged my palm across the [practice] wicket. So, my skin peeled off. Whenever I tried to hit the ball and the handle brushed [the hand], I felt a lot of pain but the good thing is we have a three-four day break. Then we play Sunrisers Hyderabad. It would be great if it gets alright by then,” Axar said after the match.
Meanwhile, his counterpart Rahane also suffered a blow to the hand while fielding at short cover and didn’t take the field after that. Knight Riders all-rounder Anukul Roy revealed that Rahane had a couple of stitches, which should heal in two to three days.
Rahane’s hand was heavily bandaged after the incident. He will be assessed by the medical staff on Wednesday.
Knight Riders’ next assignment in the ongoing tournament is on May 4 against Rajasthan Royals at the Eden Gardens. The win on Tuesday helped the Kolkata-based franchise stay alive in the race for the Playoffs. KKR currently sits seventh, with nine points from 10 matches, while Delhi is fourth, having won six games out of 10.
