Royal Challengers Bangalore [RCB] captain Virat Kohli is likely to miss the start of the 2017 Indian Premier League [IPL] season due to the shoulder injury he suffered during the Test series against Australia.
In the third Test at Ranchi, the Indian skipper hurt his shoulder while diving near the boundary in an attempt to save a four. The injury saw him sit out of the fourth Test in Dharamsala, which India won by eight wickets.
If Kohli is absent in the first few matches of the league stage, it will come as a huge blow for the Bengaluru-based franchise, who are considered one of the favourites to win the tournament.
When asked about the injury at the post-match presentation in Dharamsala, Kohli said: “Still a few weeks to go till I can be 100% on the field, but I got to take in my stride. These things happen in your career.”
Kohli was the top run-getter in the last season of the IPL, scoring a record 973 runs at an incredible average of 81.08 and a strike-rate of over 150 – including four hundreds.
RCB might also be a little concerned over the fitness of another one of their star Indian batsmen, KL Rahul. The Indian opener has spoken about not being able to hit big shots due to a shoulder niggle he suffered in the first Test in Pune.
