After a long gap of seven years, Rishabh Pant is back in the Ranji Trophy. At least he has announced his availability to the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to play Delhi’s first match of the second leg against Saurashtra on January 23. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has not decided yet. Alongside Pant are the likes of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who are likely to feature for their respective states as well in India’s premier domestic tournament. Gill last played three years ago, and Jaiswal featured for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy back in January 2023.
Rishabh Pant to play Ranji Trophy?
As for Pant, he last featured in the 2017 Ranji Trophy final. Incredibly, even Gautam Gambhir featured in Pant’s last Ranji Trophy game against Vidarbha. Gambhir, after becoming India’s head coach, has been quite vocal about players to play in domestic cricket when not playing for India. As you know, Pant was not selected for the five T20Is against England, meaning that he was available. But is he really available? Does he really want to play or is BCCI’s strict, unwritten rulebook forcing him to? Well, we don’t know about that but what we do think is the fact that Pant shouldn’t. In an ideal scenario, he should rest.
The case for resting Rishabh Pant
Yes, Rishabh Pant’s selection in the upcoming one-day international assignments isn’t unsure; Pant has played a lot of cricket. Although he has a decent span of rest days, Pant’s case is different from other players. Unlike anyone, Pant endured a life-threatening accident. in December 2022. The entire world went into shock after his accident and by God’s grace, Pant fought and made a sensational comeback to competitive cricket. He made his return in the IPL 2024, captaining the Delhi Capitals (DC). It wasn’t his best campaign but the season was more about the heartfelt comeback. His return brought Pant back to the Indian side during the T20 World Cup 2024. But since the tournament-winning campaign, Pant has been played continuously.
Catch a breath, Pant
After sitting out for the T20Is against Zimbabwe, Pant toured Sri Lanka before playing all five Tests in the home season against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Then came a gruelling Border Gavaskar Trophy, where Pant had his highs and lows. Not to forget, Pant even featured in a T20 World Cup warm-up game, a Duleep Trophy first-class match and a DPLT20 match in between this period. In total, Pant has played 22 competitive matches (11 FC matches) since his international comeback. Add 13 more high-octane IPL matches in this tally and all boils down to an exhausting schedule in less than 10 months.
All this after a horrific accident might be just too much. This would be a perfect time for Pant to have a rest and go back two steps to monitor his knees and back, two areas that take a huge toll for a wicketkeeper. His presence is of paramount importance for India. Yes, he didn’t have an ideal BGT but which Indian batter made runs consistently there? Pant might be included in the ODI setup as well, meaning more burnout for the southpaw.
Despite all the debate I’m trying to create, Pant might just play Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra. But what will he gain by playing a single or even a couple of first-class matches for that matter? He would have to switch to ODI mode if part of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Next up would be another gruelling IPL season, where Pant will have all the eyeballs as the most expensive T20 franchise player ever. He was bagged by the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at a whopping Rs 27 crore.
Most matches for India since T20 World Cup 2024 ft. Rishabh Pant
| Player | Mat | Inns | Runs |
| Virat Kohli | 21 | 30 | 591 |
| Rishabh Pant | 21 (10 Tests) | 30 | 905 |
| Rohit Sharma | 19 | 26 | 578 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 18 | 9 | 34 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 18 | 18 | 43 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | 18 | 17 | 429 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 17 | 15 | 61 |
Editor's Pick
Cricket
India in Champions Trophy: Focus on Ro-Ko's form, spin unit and pace battery sans Bumrah
Top Stories
