Pant sustained the injury during the Manchester Test in July, when he tried to reverse sweep a delivery from Chris Woakes. The ball deflected off his bat and struck his right foot, resulting in a fracture.

After months of recovery and rehabilitation, Rishabh Pant is set to make his long-awaited return to international cricket. Currently leading the India A team in the 1st unofficial match against South Africa A, the wicketkeeper-batter confirmed that he has fully recovered from the foot fracture that sidelined him since the England series.

Speaking on the sidelines of the match, Pant reflected on his recovery journey with a sense of relief and gratitude. 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,”.

“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.

How did Rishabh Pant suffer an injury

Pant sustained the injury during the Manchester Test in July, when he tried to reverse sweep a delivery from Chris Woakes. The ball deflected off his bat and struck his right foot, resulting in a fracture. In characteristic fashion, Pant returned to bat after initially retiring hurt, underlining the determination and courage that have defined his career.

Since that match, which took place between July 23 and 27, Pant had been unavailable for selection. However, this week marked his official return to competitive cricket as he featured in an unofficial Test against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru his first game action after months of rehabilitation.

How did Pant perform on return from injury?

Pant described the injury as one of the most testing times of his career, saying the battle to stay positive was as tough as the physical recovery itself. He concluded, “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,” .

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. His comeback marks an encouraging sign for Indian cricket ahead of future international fixtures.