Last Update on: August 29th, 2023 at 11:18 am
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, on Monday (August 28), surprised his India teammates by paying an unexpected visit to their preparatory camp in Alur, Bengaluru ahead of Asia Cup 2023.
Rohit Sharma & Co. are scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on Tuesday (August 29) for the continental championship. The Asia Cup is scheduled to begin on Wednesday (August 30) in Multan with the game between hosts Pakistan and debutants Nepal. India, on the other hand, will play all of their games in Sri Lanka due to the poor bilateral ties with Pakistan.
And just a few hours before the team’s departure to Sri Lanka, Rishabh Pant decided to meet his teammates. The wicketkeeper-batsman is currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where he is recovering after being involved in a horrific car accident towards the end of last year.
In a video shared by Star Sports, Rishabh Pant can be seen visiting the camp and interacting with his teammates and head coach Rahul Dravid.
Watch the Rishabh Pant video here:
Day 4 LIVE from Team India’s Camp. Ft SKY, Bumrah | #AsiaCup2023 | FTB https://t.co/5mVyHnG5eY
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 28, 2023
On Monday, Rishabh Pant had also left his fans delighted by giving them another positive update on his recovery. He posted a video on his Instagram account where he could be seen pedaling the exercise bike comfortably.
The India star has been recovering at a remarkable rate and is likely to return to action at the beginning of the next year. According to reports, he could make his much-awaited comeback to international cricket during the five-match Test series against England that will start in January 2024.
India eye Asia Cup:
Meanwhile, Team India will be looking to reclaim the Asia Cup. The seven-time champions failed to defend their Asia Cup title last year as they crashed out at the Super 4 stage. Sri Lanka went on to beat Pakistan in the final and win the title for the sixth time.
With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer back in the squad, India have a strong team for the competition. The Men in Blue will be looking to win the tournament and boost their confidence ahead of the World Cup.
India squad for Asia Cup 2023:
Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (traveling reserve).
Asia Cup 2023 Schedule:
| Date | Teams | Venue |
| 30 August | Pakistan Vs Nepal | Multan, Pakistan |
| 31 August | Bangladesh Vs Sri Lanka | Pallekele, Sri Lanka |
| 2 September | Pakistan Vs India | Pallekele, Sri Lanka |
| 3 September | Bangladesh Vs Afghanistan | Lahore, Pakistan |
| 4 September | India Vs Nepal | Pallekele, Sri Lanka |
| 5 September | Afghanistan v Sri Lanka | Lahore, Pakistan |
| SUPER 4s | ||
| 6 September | A1 v B2 | Lahore, Pakistan |
| 9 September | B1 v B2 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 10 September | A1 v A2 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 12 September | A2 v B1 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 14 September | A1 v B1 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 15 September | A2 v B2 | Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 17 September | FINAL | Colombo, Sri Lanka |