KL Rahul was cramping up, good to go on Day 2, says batting coach Sitanshu Kotak

India's vice-captain KL Rahul retired hurt on 77 off 162 balls after suffering severe cramps during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium on Saturday, August 15, 2026. The muscle spasms began in the 51st over when a cramp surfaced in his right forearm, requiring physio treatment before tea. Contractions then affected his left hand and wrist, followed by spasms in his legs, and he was assisted off the field by the team physio.

Rahul's 77-run innings came during a strong batting performance by India on Day 1. He shared a 150-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, his Karnataka team-mate. Earlier, Rahul had opened the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal in a 47-run stand off 66 balls before Jaiswal was run out from a mix-up. When Rahul retired hurt, India captain Shubman Gill replaced him at the crease to join Padikkal, with India at 197 for 1 in 53 overs.

“KL batted really well. I think he was getting only cramps. So by the end of the day, he was fine. Probably once you start getting cramps, you get it in the hamstring, you get it in the groin, you get it in your hand. But at the moment he looks absolutely fine. So he should be good to go tomorrow,” said Kotak as quoted by The Indian Express.

Rahul's value as a flexible senior batter

Kotak was delighted with Rahul’s adaptability, highlighting his ability to bat in the middle order in white-ball cricket while opening in Tests.

"See, he is someone, when he plays in one-day (match) as if you have seen him, he bats at number 6 or 5. So when you are a senior batsman, and if you are open to bat at any number and help the team, I think that is a great player to have," Kotak said.

“So for a team, he is someone who is very useful. So in a red ball match he opens, in a one-day match he bats wherever required. Now, the way he is batting, he is taking a lot of responsibilities, he is trying to create a lot of partnerships, and that is something really good to have, and he has been very, very consistent,” he added.