Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) captain KL Rahul has been advised to drop his wicketkeeping gloves in the initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Rahul, who sustained an injury during the Test series vs England, was given the fitness certificate by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to participate in the lucrative tournament. He will join the Lucknow franchise in the next two days. The franchise will begin its campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Sunday.

“He is fit and can join the IPL franchise in the coming days. He suffered pain in the quadriceps and got an injection too. He went through his rehabilitation and the NCA has now declared him fit. However, he has been advised not to take on the wicket-keeping role immediately,” a source in the Indian board told the Indian Express.

The wicketkeeper-batter was struggling with pain in the right quadriceps after the Hyderabad Test. He was subsequently ruled out of the remainder of the series.

As per unconfirmed reports, Rahul was in London, consulting a specialist, during the series against England. His pain stemmed from the right quadriceps for which he underwent surgery last year. In the final phase of his recovery, Rahul faced some stiffness and the BCCI wasn”t ready to risk him before he recovers fully in the T20 World Cup year.