Rishabh Pant likely to make comeback with India vs Afghanistan series, may play domestic matches soon

Add as a preferred source on Google

Rishabh Pant has returned to batting in the nets and could feature in a few domestic cricket matches, if reports are to be believed. The 26-year-old has still not recovered fully from the injuries which he suffered during the horrific car crash on December 30, 2022.

Even though the southpaw has shown remarkable recovery after multiple surgeries, he won't be available for selection in the T20I series against Australia following the World Cup. Pant will also miss out on India's tour of South Africa in December. The team is scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches there.

The wicketkeeper-batter can make his much-awaited comeback with the 3-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting January 11 in Mohali. England's India tour will kick off in the same month with the first Test from January 25 in Hyderabad.

The star batter can feature in a few domestic matches before making his India comeback. The 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy is set to start from November 23 and will run until December 16. The new season of Ranji Trophy will kick off from January 5.

“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 recently celebrated his 26th birthday at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He shared the video of the cake cutting ceremony which featured Axar Patel and Prithvi Shaw. The Delhi cricketer has also kept his fans updated with his recovery and rehabilitation activities.