Can Rishabh Pant recover in time for Asia Cup?
What's the story
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the upcoming T20 Asia Cup and possibly the home Test series against West Indies, as per the Times of India. The decision comes after an injury he sustained during the fourth Test match of the recently concluded series against England in Manchester. Pant suffered a toe fracture during India's batting innings at Old Trafford when Chris Woakes's yorker hit his foot.
Injury details
Pant played despite the injury
The injury was severe enough to rule Pant out of action for six weeks. However, he continued his innings despite the pain, scoring a half-century to help India draw the match. He was eventually ruled out of the final Test, which India won by a stunning six-run margin against England. With Pant likely to miss the Asia Cup, Sanju Samson is likely to be the first-choice keeper in the team.
Information
Here are Pant's T20I numbers
Pant has blown hot and cold in T20Is, having managed just 1,209 across 76 matches at a decent average of 23.25. This includes three fifties and a strike rate of 127.26. However, he was a part of India's winning T20 World Cup squad last year.
Upcoming matches
Schedule: India in Asia Cup and Test series against WI
The 17th edition of the Asia Cup will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28. India's campaign will begin against UAE on September 10, with matches likely to be played in Dubai. After the continental tournament, India will play a two-match Test series against West Indies at home from October 2-14.
Tournament structure
T20 format for Asia Cup 2023
The 2023 edition of the Asia Cup will be played in a T20 format, ahead of the next ICC global meet. India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman have been drawn into Group A while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong are in Group B. Notably, India are the defending Asia Cup champions, having won the title in 2023.