Left Arm Around

Rishabh Pant has been missing from cricket since he suffered horrific injuries in a car crash on December 30, 2022.

In that time, he was unable to feature in last season’s IPL, the World Test Championship final, a home ODI World Cup and important Test series against Australia, West Indies, South Africa and England.

The awful crash which Pant miraculously survived resulted in a severe right knee injury, as well as a fractured wrist and ankle.

But after a long injury layoff and a period of rehab described as ‘extremely painful’, the swashbuckling wicket-keeper batter is set to return to the game he loves as captain of his beloved Delhi Capitals in the 17th edition of the IPL.

Amazing news, might I add.

It’s been revealed that doctors predicted an injury layoff of 2 years, however the 26-year-old demonstrated immense mental strength and persistence with his rehab routine to regain fitness in time for a packed 2024 schedule.

“Whether it’s nutrition, his own recovery, his sleep pattern, he checked all the boxes of recovery in a very fine manner,” said National Cricket Academy physio Dhananjay Kaushik.

After just five wins from 14 fixtures to finish second-from-bottom season, the Capitals franchise will be buoyed by the flair and talismanic presence that Pant provides in T20 cricket.

Pant has scored 2838 runs at a strike rate of 147.97 and average of 34.61 in an impressive IPL career so far.

His highest score of 128* from 63 balls came in a nine-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in May 2018.

With a T20 World Cup taking place in West Indies & USA this June, a stellar campaign for the left-hander should press his claim for a return to national colours.

Despite Pant’s return, DC will be without the services of new marquee signing Harry Brook.

The young English star has opted out of the whole IPL season as he deals with the tragic loss of his grandmother.