The BCCI confirmed on Tuesday that its medical team has cleared Rishabh Pant for IPL 2024.
The Telegraph reported on Monday that Pant had got the fitness nod from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-bat underwent an extensive 14-month rehabilitation programme at the NCA after suffering multiple injuries in a car accident in December 2022.
While the Board’s release stated that Pant was “declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter for the upcoming Tata IPL 2024,” it is still not clear if he will don the big gloves for Delhi Capitals. He is also expected to lead the franchise, taking over from David Warner, who led in Pant’s absence last year.
Last month, Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal announced Pant as the captain and said that he would play as a batter alone for the first half of the season.
The IPL will mark Pant’s return to competitive cricket for the first time since the two-Test series in Bangladesh at the end of 2022 shortly before his mishap in the early hours of December 30.
The BCCI also confirmed that fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out of the IPL after having recently undergone a surgical procedure on his left proximal quadriceps tendon.
This will be the second straight season that he will miss for the Rajasthan Royals after a lumbar stress fracture put him out of action last year.
The Royals reinforced their fast bowling having traded Avesh Khan from the Lucknow Super Giants with batter Devdutt Padikkal.
Mohammed Shami too will miss the IPL after undergoing surgery on his right heel. He will be monitored by the Board’s medical team and has also been ruled out of the
T20 World Cup.
