Rishabh Pant with DC players in IPL 2023 (Twitter)
In the latest development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is positively surprised with the recovery shown by injured keeper Rishabh Pant at the National Cricket Academy.
According to reports published in ESPNCricinfo, the Indian board is planning to fast-track Pant's rehab program in order to get him ready for the upcoming 50-over World Cup, which will take place in India in the month of October and November later this year.
However, the recovery process is likely to last longer for the champion keeper-batsman, who recently started walking without crutches and climbing stairs without any support.
Pant, 23, suffered a near-fatal accident on New Year's Eve last year, when his car collided with the divider while he was driving from Delhi to Roorkee to surprise his mother ahead of the New Year.
According to reports, Pant is largely pain-free at the moment, and he is currently focusing on increasing his upper and lower-body mobility exercises under the guidance of physio, S Rajnikanth.
He is also believed to be mixing his recovery process with light swimming, aqua therapy, while also interacting with various age-group cricketers in sessions conducted by NCA chief VVS Laxman.
While it's unlikely that Rishabh will make it to the 50-over World Cup, the BCCI will hope that the champion Test cricketer is fit in time to take the flight to South Africa, where India will play a couple of Test matches at the fall of 2023.