India’s star wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is looking at a long hiatus from the game. The left-hander sustained a gamut of injuries from the near-fatal crash near Gurukul, Narsan, in the state of Uttarakhand, including a couple of cuts on his forehead. Although the wicketkeeper is stable, he has suffered abrasion injuries on his back besides the ligament tear in his right knee that will take some time to recover.
As per a Cricbuzz report, the exact nature of treatment and time required for recovery and rehab can be decided only after the treatment of the ligament tear on the right knee starts. The medical team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is monitoring the progress of the 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, and they may fly him to Mumbai when he is in a position to move.
According to The Times of India, who quoted a doctor who looks after the sports injury department at AIIMS-Rishikesh, it will take three to six months for Rishabh to recover from the ligament injury he suffered during the car crash. AIIMS-Rishikesh’s Dr Qamar Azam, who looks after the sports injury department, told TOI, “Pant will take at least three to six months to recover from the ligament injury. And if it’s severe, he may take more time. Further evaluation can be based on his detailed injury report.”
Pant, who was recently dropped from the white ball squad for Sri Lanka, was in great form in red-ball cricket for the Indian team in 2022. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter was India’s best Test batsman in 2022, amassing 680 runs in seven Tests at 61.81.
With the serious injury, it is certain that Pant will miss the 4-match Test home series against Australia. This will present an opportunity for KS Bharat, who might see his Test debut, or will we see the comeback of experienced man Wriddhiman Saha behind the wickets?
Pant, who plays for Delhi Capitals, will be under pressure to fill the gap left by Pant’s absence. They will likely turn to David Warner or Prithvi Shaw to lead the team.
