Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is back in India and will soon be heading to the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. The southpaw copped a blow on his right foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester on July 23. The 27-year-old was also in England for over a month, consulting specialists. While there is no proper update on how long the keeper-batter will take to be fully fit, he is targeting the West Indies home series to make a comeback.
If Pant does not get a green signal for the Windies series, the southpaw will aim to return for the white-ball series Down Under, starting on October 19. According to a Cricbuzz report, the 27-year-old has spent the past few days in Mumbai consulting medical experts. Upon reaching India, the keeper-batter underwent assessment to check his progress on his injured right foot, which is still believed to be protected.
Advertisement
Notably, doctors in the city have been given a fixed date for Pant to return to CoE for rehabilitation. For the unversed, a Chris Woakes delivery had hit the southpaw on the first day of the fourth Manchester Test while he was batting on (37). However, in a heartwarming move, Pant walked gingerly with a fractured foot the next day and scored a fighting half-century (54). However, the 27-year-old was deemed unfit for the fifth Test at the Oval, as the visitors clinched a come-from-behind win by just six runs.
Also Read: From the Field to the Frontline: Harbhajan Singh Aids Punjab Flood Victims
Pant cheered his teammates from the sidelines as India drew the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2-2. Since the setback, Pant has been keeping his fans updated on social media by giving timely updates on his foot.
One of his recent posts read: "Just wanna tell you one thing, which I understand is that it doesn't matter how much pain you endured in the past, if you get hurt again, it pains the same for sure, just the threshold goes up and you know the process to keep pushing yourself. So being positive is massive, motivating yourself works a lot. Keep trusting yourself and keep working in the direction you wanna take your life because what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger eventually (sic)."
Also Read:Â Asia Cup 2025: 'Kuldeep Yadav is at his peak now' - Ravi Shastri backs the wrist-spinner's inclusion
Testing times for Rishabh Pant as he eyes roaring comeback
Notably, Pant is no stranger to setbacks, as he encountered a near-death experience in a fatal car crash in December 2022. It took Southpaw one year to mark his return to cricket. However, the warrior spirit in the keeper-batter never died down. He smiled at every obstacle and challenge, and made a roaring comeback in all formats.
Now, three years after that car crash, Pant has suffered yet another setback. Yet again, it is a testing time for the Test vice-captain, who will surely aim to bounce back stronger just as he did after the car accident.
Also Read:Â Asia Cup 2025: Sanju Samson should bat at the top order - Ravi ShastriÂ
