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Rishabh Pant is expected to leave the Indian camp on Sunday morning and will likely head to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further recovery.
Rishabh Pant's ongoing battle with injuries has taken another unfortunate turn. The star wicketkeeper-batter has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting from Sunday (January 11) in Vadodara, according to a report by Cricbuzz. However, there is no official update provided by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), yet.
Rishabh Pant injury
The setback occurred during an optional practice session at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Saturday, January 10. Pant, who was in good rhythm during a lengthy batting stint in the nets, was struck by a delivery from a throwdown specialist just above the waist on his right side, the report stated. He was seen writhing in pain on the ground, prompting immediate attention from the team physio, doctor, and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Notably no scans were conducted in the city, the injury was deemed serious enough to sideline him completely. Pant is expected to leave the Indian camp on Sunday morning and will likely head to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further recovery.
Impact on Team India
This comes as a big blow to Team India, especially with KL Rahul as the primary wicketkeeper in the ODI setup. Pant was serving as the backup stumper and explosive middle-order batter under captain Shubman Gill. The selectors are now expected to name a replacement soon, with Ishan Kishan emerging as a strong contender. Notably, he is already the preferred keeper for the upcoming T20 series and has been in fine form in domestic cricket.
Rishabh Pant’s persistent injury troubles
Pant has faced repeated fitness challenges in recent years. His career was nearly derailed by a horrific car accident in December 2022, which sidelined him for a long period from both international cricket and the IPL. More recently, he dealt with a finger injury during last summer's tour of England and a toe fracture that limited his involvement in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. Despite making a comeback in limited-overs formats, these setbacks have hampered his consistency.
The practice day saw several key players turn up, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, and captain Shubman Gill—who also addressed the media ahead of the series opener. The three-match series continues with the second ODI in Rajkot on January 14 and the third in Indore on January 18.
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