Rishabh Pant shows signs of full fitness as return to cricket field nears

Published - 11 Oct 2025, 20:15 IST | Updated - 11 Oct 2025, 20:28 IST

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has dropped a powerful signal of his road to proper physical fitness via a video posted on his official social media accounts. Pant is set to return to competitive cricket following a three-month hiatus due to a foot fracture.

The exact nature of the injury is believed to be a fifth metatarsal fracture. A Chris Woakes delivery during the fourth Test of the five-match series against England had struck Pant on his right foot. He braved all the pain to get back to bat again. However, Pant's team-first approach seemed to have backfired a bit, as he had to miss the ongoing home series against the West Indies.

The short video Pant posted showed the level of intensity with which he has been trying to regain fitness. There were a lot of strength & conditioning and muscle-building drills he engaged in with what seems to be the experts at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Pant looked in total shape as he navigated through the multitude of exercises.

Pant is expected to be back, playing the 2025-26 season of the Ranji Trophy for Delhi. Recently, an official from the Delhi & District Cricket Association had commented that the stumper-batter will surely be available for their second round fixture, which begins on October 25.

Speaking of the England series in which Pant had got injured, the Haridwar-born had registered 479 runs in just four matches while averaging and striking at 68.42 and 77.63, respectively. He was unavailable for the final contest of the series, where the Indians drew the series 2-2 with a dramatic win. Pant's injury meant he was not selected for India's Asia Cup 2025 squad as well.

Pant in line to play Delhi's Ranji opener vs Hyderabad

The Men in Blue are currently involved in a two-match red-ball series against West Indies. They will then tour Australia for an eight-match white-ball series. The limited-overs series Down Under will comprise three ODIs followed by five T20Is. This will be followed by a multi-format series against the South African side, where Pant is slated to return to international action.