Ikram Ali Khil with the physio at the field (Twitter)
In a sudden turn of events, Afghanistan's wicket keeper, Ikram Alikhil, found himself sidelined due to an unforeseen injury during World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka. Alikhil had a dislocation on his right little finger as per the on air commentators, Simon Doull and Russel Arnold. However, we can see him come out to bat on his regular slot. Plenty of icing on that finger to reduce the swelling.
The incident occurred on a good length delivery outside off, as SL's Karunaratne nudged the ball with soft hands towards the left of the covers and set off for a quick single.
Nissanka, the non-striker, was a tad slow to respond, prompting Rahmat Shah to take a shy at the stumps at the striker's end. Alikhil, behind the stumps, attempted to collect the throw but the ball struck him on the end of his fingers, causing him visible pain. Immediately, he signaled for the team physio's assistance.
The physio promptly attended to Alikhil, who seemed to have sustained an injury to the side of his fingers on his right hand. Regrettably, the injury appeared significant enough to warrant Alikhil leaving the field. As he walked off, Rahmanullah Gurbaz prepared to step in as the new wicket keeper.
The unfortunate incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of sports, where unforeseen injuries can change the course of a game. It remains to be seen how this injury will affect Afghanistan's performance and whether Alikhil can recover in time to rejoin the action.
 "Muskaan Bhatt")
