With just two days to go for Champions Trophy, Rishabh Pant was hit on the knee during a practice session in Dubai. During the session, Pant was standing next to Hardik Pandya who slashed a shot straight to the wicketkeeper’s knee. Having injured the same knee in a brutal car crash in 2022, he immediately indicated pain and went down.
Physiotherapists and doctors on the team rushed to his rescue. He appeared with a strapped knee to bat in the following innings in which he was visibly uncomfortable. “During the net session, one powerful hit from Pandya caused a minor but freakish accident as Pant was hit on the knee. The 27-year-old stumper was in pain, but the physio Kamlesh Jain tended to him with a concerned Pandya coming out of the nets to check on his junior colleague. But it didn’t turn out to be a serious issue, as Pant padded up soon after the first team batters were finished with their sessions,” a PTI report stated
Pant’s future in the Champions Trophy
The battle for the wicketkeeper’s spot is likely to be a close contest between Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. However, with Rahul featuring in all three ODIs against England, he appears to have the edge as the preferred choice. In contrast, Pant’s absence from the entire series suggests that he may not be considered for the playing XI, at least in the initial stages of the tournament.
It was confirmed by the team’s coach, Gautam Gambhir, that KL Rahul would remain the primary wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy. At a press conference he mentioned, “Rishabh Pant will get his chance, but at the moment, it is KL who has done well, and we cannot play two wicketkeeper-batters.”
India vs Bangladesh: February 20
India debuts the series this year against Bangladesh in Dubai with their following match against Pakistan on February 23. The injury puts Rishabh Pant at a greater risk than others due to his major accident in 2022. After nearly two years of recovery, he finally returned in 2024. With a crucial series ahead, Pant also has the IPL 2025 season planned with the Lucknow Super Giants as captain. This injury puts a lot at stakeholders in a position of stress.