India star batter Rishabh Pant has been out of action for quite a long time now after injuries he sustained in an accident that took place on the eve of the new year. According to a recent update, the 25-year-old is recovering at a fast pace but it will take at least another seven to eight months for him to get fully fit. Therefore he is most likely to be ruled out of the Asia Cup followed by the much-awaited ODI World Cup later this year. The marquee event is scheduled to take place in India from October 5 to November 19.
"The general impression is that he is recovering faster than anticipated, but it will take seven to eight months to be cricket-fit. That said it could take even longer for him to do the wicketkeeping and the initial comeback period will have to be solely as a batter, which is still considered an asset," Cricbuzz reported. However, the exact time of his return is still unknown.
Pant who was recently seen supporting Delhi Capitals in a match, was ruled out of the ongoing IPL 2023 owing and David Warner was named as the captain of the squad. Bengal's wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel replaced Pant in the team.
Earlier, Warner had advised Pant to take it slow.
"He's looking forward to supporting us as much as he can. I am sure he'll try his best to come and see us. But we want him to recover, take it slow and easy and get better as fast as he can," Warner said.
Earlier, Pant underwent knee surgery after his right ligaments were damaged in an accident. He had survived a serious accident when he was driving from Delhi to his hometown Rourkee but lost control on the NH-58 highway before hitting the divider. He sustained cuts on his forehead and had a severely bruised back along with injuries on his knee and ankle.
Pant is currently taking treatment at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai and he is under the care of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. There is also a possibility of him undergoing another surgery.