Home
Indian cricket team's captain Rohit Sharma said that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was struck on the same knee for which he underwent surgery earlier in 2023, on Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pant's availability for the remainder of the match is in doubt due to a knee injury he suffered during the Bengaluru Test. On October 17, Pant was hit in the knee during keeping and had to leave the field.
During the evening session, Devon Conway was moving down the wicket when he was delivered a flatter delivery by Ravindra Jadeja. Pant was struck on his right knee and fell with obvious discomfort after failing to gather the ball cleanly. Pant was assisted off the field following a brief pause while the physiotherapist attended to him. Pant is in his third Test match since he made a full recovery from a terrible automobile accident in December 2022 that left him with severe knee injuries.
He played in the 2024 Indian Premier League and also in the T20 World Cup 2024 before making a comeback to the Test team last month. Pant was clearly in pain as he instantly collapsed to the ground and was carried off the field. Dhruv Jurel replaced Pant to keep the wickets for the rest of the day.
Rohit on Pant's injury
"Unfortunately, the knee. The ball went and hit straight on his knee cap, the leg which he had surgery on. So, he has got a little bit of swelling on it. The muscles are bit tender at this point of time. It's a precautionary measure," Rohit stated during the post-match press conference.
In addition, Rohit expressed optimism that Pant will play in this game again and said the team would exercise caution when it came to his return to the field.
"We don't want to take any risks. Rishabh did not want to take a risk. He has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside. Hopefully, tonight he can recover and we will see him back on the field tomorrow," Rohit added.
