Primary Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant has returned to practice batting in the nets after his recovery from the injuries he suffered during a car crash in December 2022. Although he has made remarkable progress after undergoing multiple surgeries, which eventually led him to miss out WTC Final 2023, Asia Cup 2023, and ODI World Cup 2023.
Last December, Rishabh Pant was engaged in an almost deadly accident where his car caught fire and was destroyed. Pant had sustained abrasions on his back, a tear in a ligament in his right knee, and wounds on his forehead. The Southpaw currently has been focusing on his strength and conditioning at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after recovering at home for a few months.
According to the reports in Inside Sport, According to a BCCI official, Rishabh Pant has been playing well in the nets and needs more time to heal before he can perform at his peak in the match. If all goes as planned, the left-handed wicketkeeper may be available for the home series against Afghanistan.
“It’s still early days. It’s good that he has been batting in the nets. But he still needs some more time. He will have to go back to domestic cricket and gain the confidence back. Probably, if everything goes well, a return could be possible against Afghanistan. But again, it’s not certain yet,” A BCCI source said.
The 26-year-old won’t be able to join the T20I series against Australia after the ODI World Cup and will also miss India’s tour of South Africa in December. However, he is expected to make a comeback with the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January and can participate in a few domestic matches before England’s India tour in the same month.
Rishabh Pant became a vital member of the team and saw a marked improvement in his wicket-keeping and batting in the last few years. When things become tough for the team out in the middle, he will be missed since he loved to chirp and offer his nuggets from behind the stumps.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy will start on November 23 and will run until December 16, while the new season of the Ranji Trophy will kick off on January 5 and the Left-handed wicket-keeper is expected to turn out for his State side Delhi for a few games before making his return to the International Cricket.
