Rishabh Pant return date: Indian cricket team' star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has made significant progress in his recovery but will require some additional time to regain full fitness. It is anticipated that Rishabh Pant will make his much-awaited return to competitive cricket during India vs Afghanistan series (IND vs AFG) in January, rather than India's tour to South Africa (IND vs SA). Earlier, it was assumed that Pant would be part of India's camp scheduled to assemble in Bengaluru in first week of December before flying to South Africa.
Before returning to international cricket, Rishabh Pant will need to participate in domestic matches to rebuild his match fitness and confidence.
As per exclusively reported by InsideSport.com, Rishabh Pant is likely to make his competitive cricket comeback in either the Vijay Hazare Trophy or the Ranji Trophy. If his recovery progresses as expected, Pant could make his much-awaited international comeback with India vs Afghanistan (IND vs AFG) series in January, 2024. Alternatively, if former options are not feasible, Rishabh Pant might aim for a return during India vs England Test series or Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 in March.
"It’s still early days. It’s good that he has been batting in the nets. But he still needs some more time. He will have to go back to domestic cricket and gain the confidence back. Probably, if everything goes well, a return could be possible against Afghanistan. But again, it’s not certain yet," a senior BCCI official told InsideSport.
Rishabh Pant was involved in a serious car accident on December 30, 2022. His last competitive cricket match was against Bangladesh in December before the accident.
Rishabh Pant underwent knee ligament reconstruction surgery in Mumbai and returned home after spending nearly 45 days in the hospital. He made his first public appearance since the accident by attending the IPL 2023 match between Delhi and Gujarat in New Delhi.