On the long road to recovery, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant interacted with Team India members at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on the eve of the third and final T20I against Afghanistan.

Donning a black t-shirt and shorts, Pant looked in a jolly mood as he was seen sharing laughter with star batter Virat Kohli.

The southpaw also had a chat with some other players like Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube before talking to skipper Rohit Sharma for a bit.

Recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Rishabh is expected to return to action in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper sustained multiple injuries in a near-fatal car accident in December 2022.

In his brief appearance at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Rishabh Pant did some shadow batting but he didn't look 100% comfortable while walking and seemed to hobble a bit, ESPNCricinfo reported.

Notably, Rishabh Pant tore all three key ligaments in his right knee and had three successful reconstructive surgeries in the aftermath of the horrific car crash.

The 26-year-old has been keeping the fans updated about his recovery through social media posts.

Pant was retained by Delhi Capitals for the IPL 2024 season. He attended a DC camp in Kolkata last November and also attended the IPL auction in Dubai last month.

Earlier, DC director of cricket Sourav Ganguly backed Pant to feature in the upcoming IPL season.

“He’s (Pant) good now. He will play in the IPL next season. There’s still time for him to get down to practice. By January (2024), he’ll get even better,” Ganguly had said in an interaction with reporters in November 2023.

(With ESPNCricinfo inputs)