Rishabh set to be cleared by NCA on March 5, says DC' Sourav Ganguly

NEW DELHI: In what would come as good news for Indian cricket enthusiasts, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to be declared fully fit to return to action, former India captain and Delhi Capitals' Director of Cricket, Sourav Ganguly said on Saturday.

Ganguly revealed the latest update on Pant, who led the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before he suffered a horrific accident on December 31, 2022, and has not played international cricket since then, in an interview with a national daily.

"He has done everything to get fit and that’s the reason NCA will clear him," said Ganguly. Delhi Capitals is yet to decide whether Rishabh Pant or someone else will captain the side in IPL 2024 beginning on March 22.

Ganguly said they will wait for Pant to get fitness clearance from NCA on March 5 before taking a call on captaincy.

"Let Rishabh get cleared on March 5 only then we'll talk about captaincy backups. We are taking a cautious approach with him because he has a very long career ahead of him. We don't want to push him in excitement. We will see how Rishabh reacts. He will be joining the camp once NCA gives him the clearance. We will see match by match. We can't predict," said Ganguly on the issue of captaincy.

Pant has undergone multiple surgeries and extensive rehab to reach a stage where he is hoping to return to action soon.

However, Ganguly hinted that he may not be pushed directly into wicketkeeping. "As for wicketkeeping options, there's Kumar Kushagra, Ricky Bhui has had a very good season. There is Shai Hope and Tristan Stubbs," said Ganguly in the interview with TOI.

Rishabh coming back fit is a huge addition for us. We hope he plays the full season because he is a very special player. We have worked on some domestic players who have done well in all formats, but Rishabh is very important," said Ganguly.