India opener KL Rahul was forced to retire hurt on 77 ahead of the third session of Day 1 of the first Test between India and Sri Lanka in Galle on August 15.
Rahul was set to resume batting in the third session of the day on 77 not out from 162 deliveries, but was forced off after walking out to the middle.
Prior to that, he had put on a commanding partnership of 150 from 255 deliveries with his Karnataka teammate Devdutt Padikkal.
The 34-year-old was pictured gesturing to his forearm in pain in the Tea break and was delayed in returning to bat alongside Padikkal at the session resumption. Once he had reached the middle, he was forced to call the physio out for further treatment before ultimately limping off the field.
He was later seen struggling to limp up the stairs, with broadcasters suggesting that his issue might be some form of cramp.
Published on Aug 15, 2026
