MUMBAI – Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant has returned to India after suffering a leg injury and is scheduled to begin his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The wicketkeeper-batsman fractured his right leg on July 23 during the Manchester Test against England.
Pant, 27, recently consulted with experts in Mumbai to assess the status of his injury. According to sources, his leg is still bandaged. He is reportedly targeting a return to competitive cricket in October for the home series against the West Indies. If that proves to be too soon, the limited-overs series against Australia in October-November could be a strong alternative for his comeback. Experts have advised him to proceed with his rehabilitation at the CoE.
The star player was forced to retire hurt on 37 runs on the first day of the Manchester Test after being struck by a delivery from Chris Woakes. To everyone’s surprise, he returned to bat the next day, playing a courageous innings of 54 with a bandage on his leg. However, the severity of the injury ruled him out of the final Test at The Oval, which India won to level the series.
Pant remained in England for a period before returning to India and has been providing updates on his recovery process through social media. A recent post of his carried an inspiring message: “The pain of an injury is the same every time, no matter how much you’ve suffered before. But staying positive and motivating yourself makes you stronger. Keep working hard towards your goals, because what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Pant’s career has been marked by several setbacks. He narrowly survived a serious car accident in 2022, which was followed by a long layoff due to a knee injury. He also suffered a finger injury during the Lord’s Test that affected his wicketkeeping. Despite these challenges, Pant’s resilience and positive attitude have endeared him to fans.
