India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is currently enjoying some well-deserved downtime away from the cricket pitch, following a tiring England tour. Currently recovering from a foot injury he sustained during the fourth Test match against England in Manchester, the 27-year-old shared a lighthearted video on his social media on Thursday. The clip showed him in the kitchen, enjoying himself while making a pizza.
Rishabh Pant's Pizza tutorial
“Today, I am going to show you how to make a pizza. Bear with me,” Pant said in the beginning of the video titled ” Impasto, salsa, forno… and me.”
” I think I am going to make vegetarian pizza. I love vegetarian. I think if If I make more pizzas, I’ll be sorted. It’s hot in here guys. That’s the only thing I can do with a broken foot, baking pizza. My brother must be thinking ‘ghar pe toh kuch banaya nahi hain, yaha pizza bana raha (He hasn’t cooked anything at home but he’s making a pizza here),” Pant said in the video he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Following the drawn fourth Test between England and India last month, the BCCI confirmed that Rishabh Pant would be sidelined for the remainder of the series. Pant had fractured his toe on Day 1 while attempting a reverse sweep, which forced him to retire hurt. Despite the injury, he displayed remarkable grit by returning to the crease and scoring 54 runs off 75 balls, essentially batting on one foot.
Pant was initially advised to rest for six weeks and was not expected to return to the ground on Day 2. However, he was later seen in the dressing room in his full gear and hobbled out to the field after Shardul Thakur was dismissed just before lunch. On Day 5, Pant's services were not required as solid knocks from Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar secured a draw for India, bringing the fourth Test to a stalemate.
“Rishabh Pant, who sustained a fracture to his right foot during the fourth Test against England in Manchester, has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test of the series. The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor his progress and the team wishes him a speedy recovery. The Men’s Selection Committee has named Narayan Jagadeesan as replacement for Rishabh Pant for the fifth Test, which begins on July 31, 2025 at Kennington Oval, London,” BCCI's statement read after Pant's injury.
Pant didn't feature in the action-packed fifth and final Test, which India ended up winning by six runs to level the series 2-2.