Sri Lankan batter Bhanuka Rajapaska was forced to retire in the 9th over during the 2023 IPL clash between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati after suffering a severe blow to his elbow.
The ball was a shot by PBKS’s skipper Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan lifted a delivery from Ashwin, aiming to play it over his head for a boundary. However, the ball ended up smashing Rajapaska on the elbow.
After a lengthy check, it was decided that Rajapaksa cannot continue batting, and he decided to retire with wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma walking out to bat.
In a tweet, Rajapaksa said the X-rays have cleared him of any broken bones or fractures. “Plenty of ice needed, but I’m doing fine!,” he said.
At the end, PBKS managed to beat RR by 5 runs.
