Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has spent the last few years battling repeated injuries and is now focused on regaining fitness ahead of IPL 2026. Pant, who is the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), is likely to be available for the tournament, which is scheduled to start in late March.
The wicketkeeper-batsman has slipped down the India T20 rankings. At present, ahead of him are Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel. Pant last played a T20 match in July 2024. The selection committee chose Samson and Ishan as the two wicketkeeper-batsmen for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Rishabh Pant has fully recovered after the injury
Rishabh Pant suffered an injury to his right internal oblique muscle during a practice session ahead of the ODI series against New Zealand last month. He suffered the injury at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara during an optional training session on Saturday, 10 January.
Pant was batting well in the nets when a throwdown ball hit him on the right side, just above the waist. He immediately writhed in pain, after which the team physio, doctor and head coach Gautam Gambhir had to take care of him.
At that time, KL Rahul was India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the ODI team, while Pant was serving as a backup wicketkeeper and middle-order batsman. According to Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi, Pant has now completely recovered after missing the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Breaking
Rishabh Pant was fully fit in the three-match series against New Zealand last month.
It is available for all formats. Not only this, this is a relief news for Lucknow Super Giants also because the Indian… pic.twitter.com/BXygRoJ7uR-Abhishek Tripathi/Abhishek Tripathi (@abishereporter) 17 February 2026
Rishabh Pant will be available for all formats before IPL 2026
Rishabh Pant is now fully fit and available to play in all formats. His recovery is also a big boost for Lucknow Supergiants as they will be ready for the Indian Premier League, starting on March 26.
The 28-year-old player has had to battle several injuries over the years. His career suffered a major setback after a serious car accident in December 2022, due to which he stayed away from both international cricket and IPL for a long time.
He has also faced recent fitness problems. Pant suffered a finger injury during India’s tour of England last summer and later a toe fracture during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025 against England.
LSG had a disappointing IPL 2025 season under Rishabh Pant
Lucknow Super Giants were not seen as strong contenders for the playoffs in the Indian Premier League 2025 season. A poor auction led to many expecting the auction to end at a lower level. Although the team performed slightly better than anticipated, the overall campaign fell short of expectations.
Under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant, LSG endured a difficult season. They finished seventh in the league stage with six wins from 14 matches.
Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is set to return to the IPL in a different role. The New Zealand batsman has agreed to join LSG as a strategic advisor for the upcoming season.
| Rishabh Pant – IPL 2025 Stats | |||||||||||||||
| Season | Team | mat | Inn | No | it goes | HS | avenue | BF | sr | 100s | 50’s | 4s | 6s | whistle | scheduled tribe |
| ipl 2025 | lsg | 14 | 13 | 2 | 269 | 118* | 24.45 | 202 | 133.16 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 1 |
Also read: Australian batsman claims, selectors insulted Steve Smith in T20 World Cup 2026
