Rishabh Pant faced a major setback after he suffered a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. The Indian keeper-batsman had sustained multiple injuries including a knee injury which forced him to take a long break from Cricket. The cricketer underwent surgeries and is currently in rehab period. Now, the good news is the cricketer has recovered well. As per reports, Rishabh Pant will soon be fit to play and may make a return to the Indian team through the ODI series against Afghanistan.
The Uttrakhand-born cricketer was expected to play in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but he is not yet fully fit to play. Although, he started batting and keeping which are signs of his recovery. In August this year, he even played in a local tournament. The 26-year-old batter needs some more time before he can play at the domestic level.
Rishabh Pant has also been ruled out of India’s all-format tour to South Africa in December this year. The wicketkeeper-batsman must demonstrate his fitness at the domestic level before the selectors consider him eligible to represent India.
Rishabh Pant may play T20I Series vs Afghanistan
There are reports that Rishabh Pant may return to the action via Vijay Hazare Trophy, scheduled to play from November to December. A BCCI official said that if Pant shows good signs in domestic cricket this year, his return to the India team could be possible against the Afghanistan series which will take place in January 2024.
Afghanistan Cricket Team will tour India for a 3-match T20I series and a second-string men in blue side is expected to play it. Likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah may miss the games. In the absence of Rohit, Hardik Pandya is likely to lead the Indian side. The three matches of the series are scheduled to be played in Mohali, Indore, and Bengaluru on January 11, 14, and 17 respectively.
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If Rishabh Pant makes a successful comeback in early 2024, his participation in IPL will be confirmed. Pant missed IPL 2023, and in his absence, David Warner took over the captaincy. However, Delhi Capitals felt the absence of the keeper-captain as the middle order weakened without him. In 2023, DC finished 9th on the points table.