Veteran India pacer Ishant Sharma has said that wicket-keeping batter Rishabh Pant won’t be fit to play in the 2023 ODI World Cup for sure. Pant has been stepping up his recovery following a horrific car accident in December last year.
Speaking to JioCinema, Ishant said we might not see Pant in the next Indian Premier League as well due to the severity of his injury. The BCCI has confirmed that Pant has made a significant improvement in his recovery and has started batting indoors.
“I feel we might not see Rishabh Pant in the next IPL as well because it is not a small injury. It was a very serious accident. He has just started batting and wicketkeeping and to run and turn after that, there are a lot of things, which is not easy for a wicketkeeper and a batter,” said Ishant.
He went on to say that Pant would not be fit for the ODI World Cup for sure. India is set to host the ODI World Cup in October and November.
“The good thing is that he didn’t have a second surgery. If he had undergone a second surgery, he would have been out for even longer. He has had one surgery now but I don’t think he will be fit for the World Cup for sure. Hopefully, if he gets fit for the IPL, it will be great,” Ishant added.
The young wicketkeeper-batsman was involved in a car accident that left him with multiple injuries. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reported that Pant had suffered cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee, and abrasions on his back. He also sustained injuries to his right wrist, ankle, and toe.
