Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy after sustaining a fracture in his right foot.
India is currently under a big setback, with the wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant ruled out of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to a toe fracture sustained in the fourth Test in Manchester. The Indian vice-captain suffered a blow in the second session on Day 1 at Old Trafford, when he attempted a reverse-sweep off a delivery from Chris Woakes.
With a visible swelling on the foot, the batter left the crease while being unbeaten on 37, and had to be taken to a medical facility for scans. The doctors, after examining the condition, confirmed that the Haridwar-born has to stay away from cricket for at least six weeks, which naturally ruled him out of the rest of the series. The Indian team, as a result, is now in deep troubles as they would need an ideal player to fill in his shoes for the rest of the series. Let’s quickly look at the three potential options for a departing Rishabh Pant for the rest of the England tour.
3 players who can replace Rishabh Pant for rest of the series
3. Sarfaraz Khan
The Mumbai-born cricketer Sarfaraz Khan might have a big chance in replacing Pant in the England tour. Sarfaraz went through a terrific fitness transformation and lost more than 10kgs within 1.5 months, and came back stronger. With his fitness in mind, and having played some decent innings so far for India in red-ball cricket, Sarfaraz can be picked to replace Pant. The middle-order batter has played 11 innings, and scored a century, and three 50-plus scores for India in the Test setup, and his inclusion is certainly on the cards.
2. Sanju Samson
The wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson is a like-for-like replacement for Pant in the India squad. Samson boasts immense experience on the cricketing field, though the numbers do not tell much of his story, he can be an ideal replacement for India. As Pant was the vice-captain for India, bringing in Samson with that much experience can be valuable for India. The top-order batter has not yet debuted for India in Tests, and Pant’s absence provides an opportunity to bring him into the setup and try out his skills in the longest format of the game.
1. Ishan Kishan
The 27-year-old Ishan Kishan is another apt replacement for Pant in the England tour. He has been playing for Nottinghamshire and scored a couple of 50-plus scores, registering his mark in his debut county season for the club. Kishan has played only two red-ball international for the Indian team, and this time he has a higher chance to fill in the big shoes of Pant. The left-handed batter is more of a quick striker like Pant and his flamboyant bat swing adds to his aggressive style of play. He has some minimal experience in the English conditions, and currently playing in England will be an added advantage to pick him for the Indian setup.
