India kicked off their preparations for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which is set to commence on June 20 at Headingley in Leeds. However, their campaign has already been hit with an early setback, as vice-captain Rishabh Pant sustained an injury during a practice session.

Shubman Gill is set to lead India for the first time in the longer format of the game. The squad features young talent alongside veterans like Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja. For Pant, this will be his first assignment as part of the team’s leadership group, bringing added responsibility.

Rishabh Pant Suffers Injury Scare Ahead of England Tour

Rishabh Pant suffered a blow to his left hand, just below the elbow, while batting in the nets. The left-handed batter was in visible pain, prompting the medical staff to rush in.

Following a detailed assessment, an ice pack was applied to the injured area, and his hand was later strapped with heavy tape. Pant did not resume batting and instead watched the remainder of the training session from the sidelines.

“Rishabh Pant stuck on his left arm and is seething in pain on Day 1 of Team India’s camp in Beckenham,” wrote the caption.

Watch the picture of the same posted by RevSportz Global on X (formerly known as Twitter) below:

Rishabh Pant stuck on his left arm and is seething in pain on Day 1 of Team India’s camp in Beckenham

📸 @rohitjuglan pic.twitter.com/9mzcLyavp8

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 8, 2025

Rishabh Pant Gives Reassurance Following Injury Scare

Just before getting on the team bus, Pant walked up to the journalist and asked, “How are you, bhaiya?” and when inquired about his injured arm, he simply replied, “All OK.” A quick confirmation from the team doctor backed his response. The left-hander looked in good touch during the net session at Beckenham.

Pant started his practice session with throwdowns from Dayanand Garani and Raghu. He then faced India’s spinners—Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja—before moving on to bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj.

The left-handed batter attacked good deliveries while exercising caution when necessary. He showed aggression against the spinners, stepping out, slog sweeping, and aiming for boundaries. When facing pace, he kept his eyes firmly on the ball and met it with control.

Rishabh Pant Expected to Play Key Role for India on England Tour

The upcoming England-India Test series will be the first series in the 2025-27 World Test Championship. For India, this series also marks a transition into a new phase of Test cricket following the recent retirements of veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Rishabh is expected to be a crucial figure for India during the England tour, given his experience playing in English conditions during the 2018 and 2021-22 Test series. On English soil, Pant has scored 556 runs across 17 innings at an average of 32.71, including two centuries.

Overall, Pant has amassed 2,948 runs in 75 innings over 43 Tests, with six centuries and 15 fifties to his name. In his most recent Test series—the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia—Pant scored 255 runs in nine innings at an average of 28.33, including one half-century.

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