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'Phoenix is rising' - Fans rejoice after reports of Rishabh Pant facing 140 kmph-plus deliveries surface

Rishabh Pant started facing 140 kmph-plus deliveries during his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

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Rohit Kumar
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Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant (Source: Twitter)

Indian cricket fans were delighted when the Indian Cricket Board revealed last month that Rishabh Pant had started batting practice at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) nets. The 25-year-old was involved in a horrific car accident in December 2022 and was sidelined from cricket as he had to undergo rehabilitation. However, there were reports that Pant is making significant progress in his fitness and will recover faster than expected.

After his car crashed on the Delhi-Dehradun highway on December 30, the wicketkeeper batter suffered significant burns, wounds to his forehead, a broken ligament in his right knee, and several other injuries. His absence severely hurt Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and Team India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia.

Though there are reports of Pant making a quick recovery and practising batting and wicket-keeping, his return to the field is still far off. A key player for the Men in Blue in all formats of the game, Pant will miss the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup as well. However, the southpaw is making huge strides in fitness as he continues his rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru.

Pant's next target will be to focus on body movements: Report

Pant has been updating his fans through social media about his recovery and fans are hoping for an even better comeback. The Uttarakhand-born cricketer started taking throwdowns last month and if reports are to be believed, he is now facing deliveries of more than 140 kmph. According to RevSports, Pant's next goal is to improve body movements, which officials expect to achieve in the coming months.

“Rishabh has been making a fine recovery. He has started to take on deliveries with a speed excess of 140 kmph. We all are delighted with the way he has been crossing every hurdle in his recovery. He is keeping well. His next target will be to focus on larger and quicker body movements, which we aim to achieve in the next couple of months,” the report quoted a source as saying.

Earlier, the Indian Cricket Board stated in a report that Pant has shown signs of recovery and has begun batting and keeping in the nets. “He has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets. He is currently following a fitness programme designed for him which includes strength, flexibility and running,” the statement read.

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