Team India provided an update on Rishabh Pant on Sunday after the wicketkeeper-batter retired in the third and final session of Day 1 of the second Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. The left-handed batter was in a lot of discomfort after being hit on the hand by a bouncer. However, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak played down the concerns, saying, Pant will be fit to bat on the second day of the Test.
Rishabh Pant walked off the field after being hit on his hand (ANI Pic Service)
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
The incident happened on the first delivery of the 58th over. Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara bowled a short delivery, and the left-handed batter went for a pull shot, only to glove it. The wicketkeeper-batter was in visible discomfort after the ball seemingly hit him on his wrist bone.
The physio then came charging out and applied an ice pack to prevent swelling. There was a lengthy delay, and once the umpire had a chat with the physio and Pant, the batter decided to walk off the field for further treatment. With Pant walking off, Ravindra Jadeja joined Devdutt Padikkal in the middle. Pant was batting on 3 off 15 balls when he eventually made his way back.
Deep Dive
What was the nature of Rishabh Pant's injury during the second Test against Sri Lanka?
Rishabh Pant sustained a wrist injury after being hit by a bouncer from Lahiru Kumara while attempting a pull shot.
How did Team India's batting coach address concerns about Rishabh Pant's ability to play after his injury?
Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak reassured reporters that Pant would be fit to bat on the second day of the Test, downplaying worries about the injury.
What did Rishabh Pant do after being hit by the delivery in the match?
After being hit, Rishabh Pant walked off the field for treatment but returned later, indicating the injury was serious when he removed his pads.
The cameras then picked up Pant being attended to in the dugout, but soon after, the left-hander removed his pads, making it clear that the injury was more serious than initially thought.
{{/usCountry}}
{{#usCountry}}
The cameras then picked up Pant being attended to in the dugout, but soon after, the left-hander removed his pads, making it clear that the injury was more serious than initially thought.
{{/usCountry}}
However, after the close of play on Day 1, Kotak told reporters that Pant would be fine to bat the next day. “I think he'll be fine, yes,” said the batting coach.
India dominate Day 1
The second Test between India and Sri Lanka started with Shubman Gill winning the toss and opting to bat. Devdutt Padikkal was once again the pick of the Indian batters, hitting his second Test century. The left-hander from Karnataka eventually scored 117 before being bowled by Keshara Nuwantha.
Shubman Gill also hit a half-century while Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with 43. Asitha Fernando was the pick of the Indian bowlers, scalping three wickets. He was also involved in an ugly battle with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the two almost came to blows.
{{^htLoading}} {{/htLoading}}
India gained a 1-0 lead in the two-match series after winning the opening Test in Galle by 165 runs. A win in Colombo would keep India in with a chance of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The task is cut out for the visitors as they need to win six out of their remaining eight Tests.
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
Get live cricket scores, match updates, schedules, results and ICC rankings. Follow the latest news, statistics and performances of top teams and players on Hindustan Times.
Home/Cricket/Team India provides crucial update on Rishabh Pant after batter retires hurt on being hit by bouncer
{{^htLoading}}
Advertisement
{{/htLoading}}
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
{{#usCountry}}{{/usCountry}}
Notifications
Get breaking alerts directly from the newsroom
Notifications are on!You'll be notified when news breaks
