New Delhi, Sep 9: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has begun his rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru following a foot fracture sustained during the recent Test series in England.
Pant picked up the injury while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes on July 23 at Old Trafford, which forced him to miss the fifth Test at The Oval and subsequently ruled him out of the Asia Cup 2025 beginning this week in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
In his absence, the selectors have included Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeping options in the 15-member squad. India open their campaign against the UAE on September 10 before facing arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14.
Medical staff are currently monitoring Pant’s progress through regular assessments, with the primary focus on strengthening his injured foot. The southpaw is aiming to regain full fitness in time for the two-Test home series against the West Indies starting October 2. Should that target prove too soon, the management could look at the limited-overs series against Australia in October-November as a possible return window.
The long-term plan remains to have Pant fully ready for the marquee two-Test series against South Africa at home later this year.Pant, meanwhile, has kept fans updated through social media. In a recent post, he shared an optimistic message: “Just wanna tell you one thing… 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.”While his recovery timeline is still uncertain, both selectors and supporters will be hopeful of seeing Pant back in action ahead of a busy international calendar. (Agencies)
