On the way to recovery, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was seen having an animated conversation with former India captain Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma on the sidelines of the third T20I against Afghanistan. Shivam Dube starrer On Wednesday, Team India will face the visitors in the series’ third and final T20I at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Hosts India arrived in Bengaluru with a 2-0 lead over the Rashid Khan-less side.
Pant is recovering at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is expected to return to the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL). The DC southpaw and franchise captain suffered multiple injuries in a serious car accident about 13 months ago. Pant, dressed casually in a Jordan t-shirt and black shorts, did some shadow batting, and the wicketkeeper received throwdowns from NCA members.
Pant’s Cameo in Training Session Paints a Worrisome Picture
Pant demonstrated his batting for about 20 minutes in the Chinnaswamy nets before the Indian team arrived to prepare for the match. Pant also greeted power-hitter Rinku Singh and interacted with several members of the Indian team. As per the visuals, Pant didn’t look 100% as the gloveman hobbled a bit while making a brief appearance at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Pant Will Play in The IPL Next Season: Ganguly
Earlier, DC director of cricket Sourav Ganguly backed Pant’s return to the IPL in 2024. “He (Pant) is doing well now. He will compete in the IPL next season. There is still time for him to get down and practice. During the DC camp at Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus, Ganguly stated that he will improve even more by January 2024. Pant missed the entire IPL 2023 season, the ICC World Test Championship final, and the One Day International (ODI) World Cup. The 26-year-old last appeared for India against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in December 2022. The explosive batter has represented India in 33 Tests, 30 One-Day Internationals, and 66 Twenty20 Internationals.