During a net session, Rahul was struck on the knee by a sharp delivery from pacer Mukesh Kumar, abruptly cutting short his training stint. While the extent of the injury has not yet been officially confirmed, concern looms large among fans and team management alike.

One concern Delhi Capitals will not have to worry about is the wicketkeeping role. KL Rahul, who had taken up the gloves in the early part of the season, was recently relieved of that responsibility. In his place, young wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel has been donning the gloves effectively and is expected to continue in that role regardless of Rahul’s availability

In case Rahul is ruled out, Karun Nair appears to be the most likely replacement The Karnataka-born batter was included in the playing XI midway through the season and made an immediate impact. In his first appearance of the campaign, coincidentally against Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Nair played a blistering knock of 89 off just 40 deliveries, narrowly missing out on a well-deserved century

However, since that explosive innings, Nair has struggled to maintain consistency. Over his next six outings, he managed to accumulate just 64 runs, raising questions about his form and place in the XI.

Yet, with Rahul’s fitness in doubt, the team management might be tempted to give Nair another opportunity at the top of the order, especially given that Rahul himself was promoted to open in the match against Gujarat Titans, a game where he notched up a century