India vice-captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant suffered a painful blow to his left index finger on Day 1 of the third Test against England and was forced to leave the field during the second session. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that Pant is currently under medical supervision.
“Team India vice-captain Rishabh Pant got hit on his left index finger. He is receiving treatment at the moment and is under the supervision of the medical team. Dhruv Jurel is currently keeping wickets in Rishabh’s absence,” the BCCI said in an official statement.
The injury occurred in the 34th over of England’s first innings when Jasprit Bumrah bowled a delivery down the leg side. Pant dived to his left in an attempt to stop the ball but appeared to injure his finger during the effort. Although he managed to get a hand on the ball, it slipped through, allowing England batters Joe Root and Ollie Pope to run two.
Pant was visibly in pain and received on-field treatment from the Indian support staff. He attempted to continue but looked uncomfortable and kept shrugging his hand after every ball. At the end of Bumrah’s over, Pant walked off the field, making way for Dhruv Jurel to take over wicketkeeping duties.
Notably, Jurel is not part of the playing XI but was allowed to substitute under ICC protocols.
As of now, there is no official word on the extent of Pant’s injury or his availability for the remainder of the match.