The Indian cricket team's vice captain, Rishabh Pant, went through an injury scare ahead of the team's first Test against England. The left-handed wicketkeeper batter was hit on his left arm during net practice sessions on Sunday. The five-match test series will commence on Friday, June 20, at the Headingley Carnegie. This will be India's first test after a transition period where many senior players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin won't be seen donning white jerseys, as they announced their retirement a few months ago, so Pant's injury can be a bit problematic for the team.
How did Pant get injured during the training session?
The incident took place on Sunday, June 8, in Team India's training session at Beckenham, where coach Gautam Gambhir and new skipper Shubman Gill were seen taking charge of the team from the front. According to the reports, Pant sustained an injury after being struck on his left arm while he was batting in nets. It was also reported that he complained about severe pain and was quickly attended by the team doctor, who gave him medical treatment. He also got his arm bandaged and missed the remaining net sessions to focus on his recovery.
Pant last played a Test match in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. There, too, he wasn't able to impress with his bat and even was trolled for his shot selection.
Pant's IPL 2025 Performance
If we look at the recent performances of the southpaw in IPL 2025, then he struggled to score runs. In the IPL 2025 mega auction, he came out as the most expensive player in the history of IPL, was bought for a whopping price of ₹27 crore, but wasn't able to justify the price tag with his performance. He managed to score only 269 runs in 14 matches with an average of 24.45, smashing one century and a half-century.
The upcoming five-match Test series will be crucial for Team India after the transition phase of the team, and it will be important for Gautam Gambhir and new skipper Shubman Gill to prove their roles.