Rishabh Pant to make comeback through IPL as pure batter and captain - Reports

India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant is all set to return to competitive cricket through the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The reports in Cricbuzz stated that he will be making his comeback in the league as a pure batter and will also lead the team in the tournament.

The reports claimed that Rishabh Pant has been taking part in the warm-up game in Alur, near Bengaluru. The keeper-batter has shown great signs of a comeback in what has been his first match after December 2022. He won’t be keeping wickets in the IPL 2024 for Delhi Capitals and the team will be fielding a separate keeper in the XI.

The reports claimed that the life-threatening accident hasn’t hindered his mobility. It is learned that Rishabh Pant’s ability to run and bat with the same agility and freedom is exactly the same as it was before the accident. He has been showing good signs of recovery ever since he got injured.

Rishabh Pant recently was sent by BCCI to London last month. He underwent treatment there and has gained full fitness. The keeper-batter has been cleared to take part in the games by the NCA and Delhi Capitals have shown confidence in him captaining the team.

Rishabh Pant underwent a tragic accident in December 2023 and since then has been out of action. He underwent knee surgery and since then has been training at NCA for his recovery. The keeper-batter went through various drills and recovered more quickly than expected.

Recently some reports suggested that BCCI even considered the England Test series as a window for Rishabh Pant’s comeback. But the development didn’t work as they didn’t want him to ease way into the cricket through the longest format of the game, which takes a lot of effort from players.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to kick start from on March 22 or 23, with the final set to take place on May 26. Much more than the league, the excitement is for the Rishabh Pant’s return. It remains to be seen how the keeper-batter goes about his business in the league.

Till the time I start playing cricket, I don’t want to plan much for the future – Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant recently talked about the accident he suffered and said that he was lucky that things weren’t that serious. He also talked about his recovery process and said that till the time he makes a comeback, he won’t think about the future. Speaking to Star Sports, he explained:

“First time in my life I had that feeling of letting it go. I felt my time in this world was over. It was the first time I had such a feeling in life. At the time of the accident, I was aware of the wounds, but I was lucky as it could have been even more serious.

“Till the time I start playing cricket, I don’t want to plan much for the future. I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover? I told him that everybody is speaking different things, but you will give me the most clarity about it. He said it would take 16 to 18 months. I told the doctor that whatever timeline you give me, I will reduce six months from it.”

It remains to be seen how Rishabh Pant will make a return. He will be eager for the team along with India going ahead.