Rishabh Pant likely to be ruled out of Asia Cup, 2023 ODI World Cup: Report

Rishabh Pant is expected to stay away from the action for an extended period of time and will be ruled out of the Asia Cup in September and the World Cup in October-November, according to reports. Pant was last seen at a Delhi Capitals IPL game at the Arun Jaitley Stadium walking with the help of crutches. Although the wicketkeeper-batsman was all smiles and waved at the cameras, he still has a long way to go to before he will be seen on the pitch.

The Indian cricketer met with a near-fatal car accident on New Year's Eve, which caused him multiple injuries. Cricbuzz reported that people close to him revealed that he will take at least a couple of weeks to walk without any help.

"The general impression is that he is recovering faster than anticipated, but it will take seven to eight months to be cricket-fit. That said it could take even longer for him to do the wicketkeeping and the initial comeback period will have to be solely as a batter, which is still considered an asset," the report quoted a source as saying.

The accident took place on the Delhi-Dehradun highway and the 25-year-old has been provided complete support by the Board of COntrol for Cricket in India (BCCI) as he was airlifted for medical treatment to in Delhi first and then was shifted to Mumbai. The BCCI previously said that the board will make every effort to aid and expedite the recovery process of the player and would provide him with all the support he needs during this period.

According to the reports, Pant underwent surgery for ligament tear in January and is under the care of Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, head, of the Centre for Sports Medicine, and director - of Arthroscopy and Shoulder Service at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai. There is a possibility he may have to undergo another surgery, reports have claimed.

Once the medical procedures are taken care of, Pant is expected to move to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for rehab for getting into the groove of the game and to work on his fitness.