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India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been cleared to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) by the BCCI’s fitness and medical teams after being seriously hurt in a car crash in 2022. After an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, Pant “has now been declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter” for the Twenty20 tournament, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said in a statement posted on X. The update on Pant came just a day after BCCI secretary Jay Shah had told the media that Pant was “batting well and keeping well,” and could be in contention for a place in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in June.
“If he can play the T20 World Cup for us, that will be a big thing for us. He is a big asset for us,” said Shah. “If he can keep, he can play the World Cup. Let’s see how he does in the IPL”. The 26-year-old plays for Delhi Capitals in the franchise tournament and is expected to take up wicketkeeping and batting duties when the 2024 season gets under way on March 22. Delhi Capitals play their opening game against Punjab Kings a day later.
In February 2024, Pant began match-simulation exercises in Bengaluru, and even played a 20-over practice game in Alur, Karnataka, under the supervision of NCA physios and trainers.
At the time, Pant was understood to have experienced no discomfort while batting for the entire 20 overs, and the people monitoring him were believed to have been satisfied with his endurance levels. Pant, however, didn’t keep wickets back then, and was advised to resume that aspect of his training in March.
The cricket player suffered multiple injuries in a car crash near the town of Roorkee in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on December 30, 2022. He suffered injuries on his head, back and leg, but managed to exit the car before it caught fire. His last cricket outing came during India’s Test match against Bangladesh between December 22 and 25, 2022.
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