Indian keeper-batter Rishabh Pant suffered a serious foot injury on the opening day of the fourth Test against England in Manchester when the ball struck him. He retired hurt and did come out to bat the next day, but his participation for the rest of the match and series was over.
The injury also forced him to miss the Asia Cup 2025, and he will be unavailable for the upcoming Test series against the West Indies. Rishabh Pant will also sit out the ODI and T20I series in Australia.
Will Rishabh Pant Play in the T20 World Cup 2026?
The big question now is whether Rishabh Pant will be fit in time for the T20 World Cup 2026. The tournament is about four months away, and Pant has already been sidelined for over two and a half months. There is, however, hope that he could make a comeback during the second round of the Ranji Trophy starting on October 25. That could open the door for him to return to the Test squad for the series against South Africa beginning on November 14.
Rishabh Pant on Comeback Trail
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar had hinted that Pant could be back for the South Africa Tests when the Test squad for the West Indies series was announced. It is understood that Pant is nearing the end of his rehabilitation. His foot was taken out of the cast three weeks ago, and according to ESPNCricinfo, the 28-year-old will undergo a fitness assessment at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru later this week.
If cleared, Rishabh Pant could rejoin the Delhi squad, which begins its Ranji Trophy campaign on October 15. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel has kept wickets in Tests while Sanju Samson took over in T20Is. Pant will need to prove not only his fitness but also his consistency to earn a spot in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Rishabh Pant Making Up for Lost Time
Rishabh Pant played a key role when India won the T20 World Cup in 2024. At 28, he still has many years of cricket ahead, and this injury is just a temporary setback. But the race against time is real, and Pant must ensure he stays on the selectors’ radar for the next T20 World Cup. He already lost over a year of international cricket recovering from a car accident. After December 2022, his next game for India came only in June 2024, and he also missed the ODI World Cup in 2023.
The T20I Numbers of Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant’s T20I record is impressive. He has scored 1,209 runs from 66 innings in 76 games with 14 not-outs. His top score is 65 not out, with an average of 23.25 and a strike rate of 127.40. The southpaw has also hit three fifties in his T20I career. If Rishabh Pant makes it to the T20 World Cup 2026, it will be a huge boost for India. Fans, players, team management, and cricket lovers all hope the left-handed keeper-batter will be back behind the stumps and wielding the bat at the tournament.
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