Sri Lanka Test cricketer Kaushal Silva was hit on the head while fielding in a domestic match in Pallekele and taken to a hospital. Though his scans were clear, he will be monitored as a precautionary measure.
The game has become a risky affair, and after the unfortunate death of Phil Hughes after he was hit on the head by a bouncer in Australia in 2014, players have been careful wearing helmets with extra protection.
Silva, while fielding at short-leg, had taken precautions with the additional padding in the helmet, but the ball hit the player just below the protection.
"Kaushal was fielding at short leg when he got hit," ESPN Cricinfo quoted team manager Charith Senanayake as saying.
"(Dinesh Chandimal) swept a ball right onto the back of Kaushal's head. He did take evasive action, but still the ball hit him."
Instances of players being hit by a cricket ball on the field have happened in the past, and cricketers are always on the lookout in terms of wearing extra protective gears.
Not only cricketers, umpires have also started to use protective gears in the T20 format, which was also witnessed in the IPL match on Sunday between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions. Bruce Oxenford, umpire from Australia, wore a hand shield, while umpiring the game in Rajkot.
