Recently, The Board for Control of Cricket in India declared Rishabh Pant fit to play as both batter and wicket-keeper. As a result, the explosive left-hander made his comeback to the cricket field by participating in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
The Delhi Capitals management has confirmed that the swashbuckling Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, who has been out of action for nearly a year after meeting a life-threatening accident, will captain the franchise in the 2024 IPL season. Pant missed the entire IPL season last year, and Delhi Capitals rued his absence as they finished ninth in the points table.
Look who is out in the middle to bat ๐
Follow the match โถ๏ธ https://t.co/ZhjY0W03bC #TATAIPL | #PBKSvDC | @DelhiCapitals | @RishabhPant17 pic.twitter.com/YdRt1lh6be
โ IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 23, 2024
During his recovery period India played 62 international matches. Pant has missed the four-Test home series against Australia, the 2023 Indian Premier League, the series in the West Indies, the rubber in Ireland, the Asia Cup, and the World Cup. He was also unavailable for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan and the marquee five-Test series against England in February and March. He was also unavailable for the series against South Africa.
Pant met a life-threatening accident on December 30, 2022 that had kept him away from the game since. Slowly, the wicketkeeper-batter returned to low-key fitness routines and has even been spotted at Indiaโs matches in the last few months.
While Pant is bullish about featuring all season, head coach Ricky Ponting tempered his expectations and reckoned that managing him for 10 of the 14 games would feel like a bonus for a side that missed his services dearly last year.
Delhi Capitals won just five of their 14 games and narrowly avoided the wooden spoon in IPL 2023, but Ponting is building up to this yearโs edition with a sense of optimism, which is in no small measure fuelled by Pantโs comeback.
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In Part 2 of the #MiracleMan, we bring you insights from @RishabhPant17's road to recovery, where determination and perseverance ultimately triumph.
From intense rehabilitation sessions, training regime, and nutrition โ theโฆ pic.twitter.com/83YZExqkIa
โ BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2024
