Rishabh Pant confirmed his full recovery from a foot fracture and returned to competitive cricket by leading India A in an unofficial Test against South Africa A in Bengaluru.
After months of recovery and rehabilitation, Rishabh Pant is finally set to make his long-awaited return to international cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter, currently leading the India A team in the first unofficial match against South Africa A, confirmed that he has fully recovered from the foot fracture that kept him out since the England series.
Speaking on the sidelines of the match, Pant expressed relief and gratitude as he looked back on his recovery journey. He said, “The first part of the process was healing. For the first six weeks, you have to let the fracture heal properly and then report to the CoE. Thankfully, the healing went well.”
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“I started my rehab gradually. In the early days, there was a lot of physiotherapy and careful monitoring. Once I regained some mobility, I began focusing on building strength, which marked the start of the second phase. Right now, I’m happy to say that I’m fully recovered, and I owe a big thanks to the CoE staff for helping me through it,” he added.
Pant On Mental Strength And Recovery
Pant described the phase as one of the toughest challenges of his career, revealing that staying mentally strong was as hard as the physical recovery itself. He said, “Being positive is really a mindset thing. During an injury, it’s easy to lose motivation. Your energy levels drop, and frustration builds up. But if you can find small things that make you feel good, it’s important to hold onto them, especially when you’re going through that period.”
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On his return to the field, Pant faced 20 balls in the first innings of the unofficial Test and scored 17 runs before being dismissed by South African pacer Okuhle Cele. Despite the modest outing, his comeback is a major positive for Indian cricket ahead of future international fixtures.
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