Rishabh Pant, who was involved in a horrifying car crash in December 2022, is on track to make his comeback to cricket during the 2024 edition of IPL, slated to start on March 22.
Notably, Pant tore all three key ligaments in his right knee and had three successful reconstructive surgeries in the aftermath of the near-fatal accident.
Subsequently, the wicketkeeper-batter underwent an extended rehabilitation at the NCA and missed out on all the action last year, including the IPL, WTC final, Asia Cup and World Cup.
With less than three weeks remaining for the IPL 2024, Delhi Capitals’ Director of Cricket Sourav Ganguly shared a positive update on Rishabh Pant.
Speaking to TOI, Ganguly revealed that the National Cricket Academy is going to assess Pant’s fitness status on March 5.
The former BCCI President also expressed confidence that Pant will pass the fitness test with flying colors.
"He has done everything to get fit and that’s the reason NCA will clear him," said Ganguly.
"Let Rishabh get cleared on March 5, only then we’ll talk about captaincy backups. We are taking a cautious approach with him because he has a very long career ahead of him. We don’t want to push him in excitement. We will see how Rishabh reacts. He will be joining the camp once NCA gives him the clearance. We will see match by match. We can’t predict," he added.
There is a strong possibility that Pant will play as a specialist batter under the 'Impact Player' rule in the initial phase of the IPL.
"As for wicketkeeping options, there’s Kumar Kushagra. Ricky Bhui has had a very good season. There is Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs," Ganguly stated.
"Rishabh coming back fit is a huge addition for us. We hope he plays the full season because he is a very special player. We have worked on some domestic players who have done well in all formats, but Rishabh is very important," he further remarked.
Rishabh Pant was last seen in action during the tour of Bangladesh in December 2022. Mirpur Test against Bangladesh was his last appearance before he met with the accident.
Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2024 opener against the Punjab Kings in Mohali on March 23 could mark his return to competitive action.
(With TOI Inputs)
