Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 after sustaining a foot injury during the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford in Manchester on July 23. The injury occurred while Pant attempted a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes on Day 1 of the match, forcing him to miss the fifth Test at The Oval as well. With Pant unavailable, the selectors included Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeping options in India’s 15-member squad for the eight-team tournament, which begins on September 9 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Pant, India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in Test cricket, is now focused on a comeback in the upcoming two-match home Test series against the West Indies. The first Test will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad from October 2 to 6, followed by the second Test at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium from October 10 to 14.
According to a Cricbuzz report, Pant is aiming to return during the West Indies series. If that timeline proves too soon, his comeback could be pushed to the white-ball series against Australia in late October and November. Pant has been consulting medical specialists in Mumbai over the past week, a month after fracturing his foot in Manchester. While the injury remains strapped, doctors have reportedly given him a clear rehabilitation plan at the National Cricket Academy’s Centre of Excellence.
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Pant stayed in England for further assessment after the Test series, which ended in a 2-2 draw, before flying back to India recently. On Instagram, he humorously captioned a picture of himself getting a haircut under a tree: “Bachpan ki yaad aa gayi jab tree ke neeche I use to take haircut toh socha vapas try kru 😂😉😉.”
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Following the West Indies Tests, India will tour Australia for a three-match ODI series in Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney on October 19, 23, and 25, followed by a five-match T20I series in Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Gold Coast, and Brisbane.
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Pant, who has been managed carefully in white-ball cricket, hasn’t featured in ODIs or T20Is this year despite being part of India’s squads for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the February series against England. His last T20I appearance was against Sri Lanka in July 2024, after which he was rested to manage the workload of Test regulars.
Pant’s recovery remains a top priority for India, with selectors keen to have him fully fit for the demanding Test and white-ball schedule ahead.
