With Team India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming IPL season, former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan acknowledges the huge challenge Pant will face in order to secure a spot in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 squad, even if he delivers a strong performance in the upcoming IPL season.

Rishabh Pant, who faced a serious car accident on December 30, 2022, has been undergoing an intensive recovery process. The accident resulted in various injuries, including a substantial knee injury that required ligament reconstruction surgery.

Despite the hurdles, Rishabh Pant’s resilience has been evident in his social media updates, where he referred to the accident as his ‘second birth.’ Under the BCCI’s watchful eye at the National Cricket Academy, his rehabilitation has shown promising progress. Pant has resumed batting practice, facing deliveries exceeding 140 kmph.

As of late 2023, there is optimism surrounding Pant’s complete recovery by February 2024. This recovery timeline raises the possibility of him leading the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2024, potentially positioning him for consideration in the T20 World Cup squad. Esteemed figures in cricket, such as Sunil Gavaskar, have expressed confidence that, if fit, Pant would be an automatic selection for the T20 World Cup 2024, highlighting his reputation as a game-changer for the Indian team.

Zaheer Khan said,

“If you see Rishabh Pant’s journey, the turn he has gone through is not easy for any player. Firstly, everyone who is attached to cricket will be happy once he comes back on the field. He has a lot of hurdles to cross.” [CricTracker]#T20WC2024 pic.twitter.com/C3BR2XT3mM

— Don Cricket 🏏 (@doncricket_) January 18, 2024

Zaheer’s Opinion

While speaking on Colors Cineplex, Zaheer said that everyone would be happy to see the player return to the field.

“If you see Rishabh Pant’s journey, the turn he has gone through is not easy for any player. Firstly, everyone who is attached to cricket will be happy once he comes back on the field. He has a lot of hurdles to cross,” Zaheer said.

Regarding the T20 World Cup 2024, Zaheer Khan expressed the view that Rishabh Pant faces a challenging road ahead. Zaheer emphasized that Pant would have to return to the field and demonstrate both fitness and form, a process that could be time-consuming due to his extended period of inactivity. The former pacer believes that despite a strong performance in the IPL, it might not guarantee Pant a spot in the T20 World Cup squad, indicating the significance of proving both physical condition and cricketing form after a prolonged hiatus.

“Firstly, he has to come back and play. It’s not easy at this level. You need to get used to it and get the rhythm back. Those things might take time. It’s great if it doesn’t. However, keeping all things in mind, even if he has a very good IPL, I don’t think the team will be thinking in that direction,” he added.

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