Indian Premier League (IPL) side Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Ricky Ponting provided an injury update on their star batter Rishabh Pant who is expected to mark his much-awaited return this year.
Pant played his last international match in December 2022 during the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Mirpur and he has, since then, been sidelined following a horrific car accident.
However, the left-handed batter’s comeback may just be on the cards as Ponting confirmed that Pant was feeling confident and will feature in the IPL.
"Rishabh is very confident that he's going to be right to play," Ponting said. "In what capacity we're not quite sure yet.
"You would have seen all the social media stuff, he's up and about and running well. But in saying that we're only six weeks away from the first game as well. So we're not sure if we'll get wicketkeeping out of him this year.
"But I'll guarantee if I asked him now he'll say, 'I'm playing every game, I'm keeping every game and I'm batting at No.4.' That's just what he's like, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.”
Ponting then stated that DC missed Pant's presence in the last edition and the team would be delighted to have him even if it's not for a full season.
"He's such a dynamic player. He's obviously our captain. We missed him incredibly last year.
"If you understand the journey he's been on the last 12-13 months, it was a horrific incident. One that I know he feels very lucky to have even survived, let alone have the chance to play cricket again.
It is worth mentioning that it took Pant 40 days to start walking after the horrific accident where he sustained multiple injuries. He also keeps updating his social media accounts with the routine gym work.
He was replaced by Ishan Kishan in T20Is as a wicketkeeper while in 50-over cricket, KL Rahul took over his role and has been playing since then.
It must be noted that Pant was one of the most important players of the Indian cricket team prior to the car crash across all formats. He captained India's T20I side against South Africa in June 2022 and was also named in the Men's Test Team of the Year 2021 for his fantastic performances throughout the year.
- Rishabh Pant