Rishabh Pant's recovery progressing faster than expected

Rishabh Pant's fast pace of recovery has surprised the BCCI and the medical staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where the India wicketkeeper is undergoing rehabilitation after he survived a serious car crash last December.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that while the BCCI is attempting to fast track Pant's rehab to try and get him ready for the ODI World Cup this year, the recovery process is likely to last longer. However, the prospect of potentially not playing any cricket in 2023 has not affected Pant, who recently started to walk without crutches and climb stairs without any support.

Pant is believed to be largely pain-free, and while skill work is still "quite some time away", he is currently increasing his lower-body and upper-body mobility exercises under the guidance of physio S Rajnikanth, who has previously worked with several India age-group teams and has also been part of the Delhi Capitals support staff. Rajnikanth had previously helped rehabilitate Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and M Vijay from serious injuries. Thulasi Ram Yuvaraj, another NCA physio, has been with Pant ever since he was airlifted to Mumbai, days after the car crash.

Pant is believed to be mixing his rehab with sessions of aqua therapy, light swimming and table tennis. He has also been spending time conducting interactive sessions with batches of age-group cricketers - male and female - who have been attending training camps at the NCA. These sessions have been facilitated by NCA chief VVS Laxman to help break monotony, while also boosting morale of young cricketers.

Pant last played during India's tour of Bangladesh in December 2022. While being away from the field has been a big disappointment for Pant, it is understood he has been keeping himself occupied and positive, and watched the World Test Championship final with some of the other India players doing rehab at the NCA, such as Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and Prasidh Krishna.

Both Bumrah and Shreyas underwent back surgeries recently, which made them miss the IPL and the WTC final, and are now at the NCA for their recovery.

The NCA medical staff is optimistic about both players being available for the Asia Cup in September. Bumrah, who suffered a recurring back injury, had surgery in New Zealand in March. He has not played since the home T20Is against Australia last September. It is understood that Bumrah is mainly doing physiotherapy but has recently started light bowling workloads, which will gradually increase.

Shreyas, troubled by a bulging disc in his lower back, had to abort playing the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March in Ahmedabad. He then underwent surgery in London in May and is now undergoing physiotherapy.