Rishabh Pant injured ahead of ICC Champions Trophy? Check details

Fresh into their training session for the ICC Champions Trophy, the Indian squad has been hit by an injury concern. The team landed in Dubai for the marquee tournament on February 15 after wrapping up their home series against England on February 12. Now, as per the latest report from their training camp, Rishabh Pant has taken a hit on his knee while in the drill. During the training session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Sunday, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant took a blow to his left knee. Reportedly, the incident occurred when Hardik Pandya was batting in the nets. India opens its campaign on February 20 against Bangladesh in their Group A fixture.

Rishabh Pant has been hit on his left knee while in the training session for the Champions Trophy. A powerful slash from Hardik Pandya struck Pant directly on the knee, causing him to collapse in visible pain. The team physio rushed onto the field and applied an ice pack to the injured area. Notably, this is the same knee that Pant severely injured during his near-fatal car accident in December 2022. After receiving treatment, Pant managed to get back on his feet but was seen limping. According to the report, Hardik Pandya immediately checked on his teammate, ensuring he was doing okay.

The two players exchanged a hug before Pant had his knee heavily strapped and made his way to the dressing room. A short while later, he returned to bat but appeared uncomfortable covering the distance from the dressing room to the practice area. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, conducted their first training session ahead of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, set to begin in Dubai. Notably, Pant did not feature in any of the three ODIs against England recently. After the final match, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed KL Rahul as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the tournament.

"KL is our No 1 wicketkeeper, and this is what I can say at the moment. Rishabh Pant will get his chance, but at the moment, it is KL who has done well, and we cannot play two wicketkeeper-batters," Gambhir told before the India squad left for Dubai.