Robin Uthappa believes Rishabh Pant may aggravate his ailments in an attempt to make a quick recovery after suffering a difficult combination of injuries in a vehicle accident in December 2022.
Pant has probably been restless on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity to make his much-anticipated return. While Pant indicated a desire to bat, lead, and keep wickets for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the forthcoming 2024 season, the organization just revealed that he will only play as a hitter in the first half of the tournament.
His IPL performances will decide his place in the Indian squad. Many eyes will watch him return after 15 months. The Indian team will watch carefully, not rushing him back due to his injuries.
Robin Uthappa also believes Pant should not put too much pressure on himself in order to return to the national team.
“Well as far as Rishabh Pant is concerned, it all depends on his fitness and how he recovers from what has been a tough year and a half for him. I think, we should send all those energies to him that he recovers and comes back to his best. It’s good to see He’s back in the nets, he’s hitting the ball well, doing center wicketkeeping practice. He shouldn’t rush the process,” Uthappa said in an interaction with InsideSport.
Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa added:
“It’s hard to stay out of the game for so long, especially when you are super competitive and you want to perform and win matches. But sometimes when you hurry the process you end up doing more damage and go back to the wait line which is more frustrating. I really hope he takes his time to comeback and when he does he comes out good.”
Robin Uthappa
Pant was already dealing with a knee problem in 2022, which was exacerbated by the impact from the collision. He endured many operations to mend injured ligaments and has been increasing his training to be completely ready for the 2024 IPL season, which begins March 22.
“For Dhruv, as far as T20 is concerned, he has to wait” – Robin Uthappa
During Rishabh Pant’s protracted absence from the lineup, a host of hopefuls have retained wickets for India in various formats. Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, KS Bharat, Jitesh Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel have all recently tried out, with a potential World Cup place on the horizon.
Dhruv Jurel, the most recent contender, has made a strong first impression in the current Test series against England. Coming in for KS Bharat, the wicketkeeper-batsman was named player of the match for his exploits in the fourth Test in Ranchi.
Despite Jurel’s good start to his international career, Robin Uthappa believes he will have to wait for an opportunity in the shortest possible time.
“As far as Dhruv Jurel is concerned, there is a lot happening in Indian cricket. We have seen a lot of moving pieces in the last couple of months. Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat has also been in the mix. We’ll have to see how the IPL goes. Kl Rahul is also a keeper, T20 World Cup player. How does KL fit in the mix given his injuries and hopefully he recovers soon. For Dhruv, as far as T20 is concerned, he has to wait. But it is incredible what he has achieved at the national level.”
Robin Uthappa
Dhruv Jurel has demonstrated his potential in the shortest format with a series of brief cameos as an impact player for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2023.