Team India captain Rohit Sharma has confirmed that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant is experiencing swelling in the same knee where he underwent surgery following his car accident in December 2022. Rohit noted that Pant left the field as a precaution.
Pant hobbled off during Day 2 of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand on October 17 after being struck on his right knee. The incident took place in the 37th over of New Zealand’s innings.
He missed a stumping opportunity against Devon Conway while trying to collect a delivery from Ravindra Jadeja and was hit on the knee. Pant was seen in pain and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel.
In the press conference following Day 2, Rohit gave an update on Pant’s injury, stating (as quoted by ESPNcricinfo):
“Unfortunately, the ball hit straight on his knee cap, the same leg which he’s done a surgery on. So he has got a bit of swelling on it. And you know the muscles are quite tender at this point in time so it’s a precautionary measure.”
“We don’t want to take a risk. Rishabh doesn’t want to take a risk because he has gone through a massive surgery on that particular leg. That was the reason for him to go inside. Hopefully, at night he can recover and we will see him back on the field tomorrow,” the Indian captain went on to add.
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Pant sustained multiple injuries in a serious car accident in December 2022. He made a successful return to competitive cricket during IPL 2024 and was also part of the Indian team that claimed victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Pant was the top scorer with 20 runs as India was dismissed for 46
Day 2 of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru was a difficult one for India, worsened by Pant’s injury in the final session. The hosts won the toss and chose to bat first but were bowled out for 46 in 31.2 overs in challenging conditions.
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Pant was India’s highest scorer with 20 runs off 49 balls. The hosts recorded their lowest Test total at home and the third-lowest in history.
Five Indian batters were dismissed without scoring: Virat Kohli, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin. For New Zealand, Matt Henry took 5 wickets for 15 runs, while William O’Rourke had figures of 4 for 22.
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