Sri Lanka all-rounder Chamika Karunaratne lost many front teeth while grabbing a catch in the current Lanka Premier League in Hambantota. Karunaratne suffered serious injuries as the ball hit him in the face while attempting to take the catch in LPL 2022 on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old was carried off the pitch and rushed to the hospital for surgery soon after sustaining the horrific injury. Karunaratne is likely to return to the pitch in the tournament's latter stages.
The incident happened in the fourth over of the innings, Nuwanidu Fernando was at the crease, attempting to hit a wide-length ball off Carlos Brathwaite's bowling over the cover. Fernando, on the other hand, mistimed his shot and sent the ball straight up in the air. Karunaratne, a Kandy Falcons player, made the catch while sprinting behind from point.
The ball hit Karunaratne in the face, causing him to bleed. Despite being in severe discomfort, the Sri Lanka star hung onto the catch before giving it to a teammate. The team doctor immediately took him off the field and sent him to the hospital for surgery. Karunaratne is thought to have lost many front teeth as the ball hit straight on his face.
A video of the event has gone viral on social media. Watch here
Karunaratne has represented Sri Lanka in 57 matches across all formats, collecting 38 wickets and hitting one half-century. He received a suspended one-year ban for a disciplinary infraction while in Australia as part of the T20 World Cup squad that was eliminated at the Super 12 stage.
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