'We might not see Rishabh Pant...' - Senior India pacer Ishant Sharma not optimistic star batter's comeback

Amid the speedy recovery of Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, pacer Ishant Sharma is not confident about his return until next year's Indian Premier League. Fans and cricket pundits were excited after the Indian Cricket Board announced that Pant had started his batting and keeping practice after facing a near-fatal car accident.

However, speaking about the same, Pant's IPL teammate Ishant Sharma feels that the left-hander needs some more time to make a comeback. "I feel we might not see Rishabh Pant in the next IPL as well because it is not a small injury. It was a very serious accident. He has just started batting and wicketkeeping, and to run and turn after that, there are a lot of things, which are not easy for a wicketkeeper and a batter," said Ishant on Jio Cinema.

"The good thing is that he didn't have a second surgery. If he had undergone a second surgery, he would have been out for even longer. He has had one surgery now, but I don't think he will be fit for the World Cup for sure. Hopefully, if he gets fit for the IPL, it will be great," Ishant further explained. Notably, in the absence of Pant, India is playing Ishan Kishan in all three formats. Kishan has been performing in limited-over formats and has recently scored a half-century in Test cricket too.

Will David Warner continue to lead the Delhi Capitals?

In the IPL 2023, the Delhi Capitals announced David Warner as their stand-in skipper in the absence of Rishabh Pant. Warner failed to get his team into the playoffs and finished 9th on the points table. However, he performed exceptionally and helped his team get some positives. Thinking about Pant's recovery plan, the Delhi Capitals might consider Warner leading their team in the upcoming seasons.

It's worth noting that Pant's car crashed on the Delhi-Dehradun highway on December 30, 2023, leaving the wicketkeeper with severe burns and injuries to his body. He was driving to his native place in Roorkee to surprise his mother on the eve of New Year's. Pant's return date appears to be fairly far away, despite the fact that he has only recently resumed hitting and wicketkeeping.