India vs Australia, 2023: Top 5 players who can replace injured Rishabh Pant for the Test series

Rishabh Pant shocked the whole of India when he met with a horrible road accident on 30 December 2022. He was going to Roorkee from Delhi and hit his Mercedes with the railing on the Narsan border of Roorkee near Hammadpur Jhal. Pant’s car collided with a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. However, currently, he is under full medical attention and out of any severe danger. 

As per recent updates from AIIMS Rishikesh, Dr. Qamar Azam said: “Pant will take at least three to six months to recover from the ligament injury. And if it’s severe, he may take more time. Further evaluation can be based on his detailed injury report.” Hence, his participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against the Aussies at home is in danger. Hence, Rohit Sharma might look for some players to replace this impactful player in the squad for this four-match Test series.   

Here are the top five players who can replace Rishabh Pant in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023:

Srikar Bharat

Srikar Bharat (Image Source: Twitter)

This batter has impressed everyone with his batting and wicket-keeping skills in the domestic circuit. As a result, Srikar Bharat has cemented his palace as the second wicketkeeper for the Men in Blue in the longest format. He was a part of the squad of the recently concluded two-match Test series in Bangladesh.

However, he did not play a game in that series. In recent Ranji seasons, he did not get enough chances to show his potential after becoming the second wicket-keeper for India. In the 2014/15 season, Bharat scored 758 runs at an average of 54.14. So, in absence of Rishabh Pant, Bharat can be a good option for Rohit Sharma. 

Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson (Image Source: Twitter)

This batter has shown his class in the white ball formats only. But, Sanju Samson has gathered a lot of experience by playing the domestic red ball format for Kerala. Currently, he is busy playing in the Ranji Trophy 2022/23 season. In this edition, Samson has scored 284 runs so far in five innings.

He has batted at an average of 56.80 along with a strike rate of 85.54. So, he can be a good option to replace Rishabh Pant for the Test series. His wicket-keeping skills are also top-class as fans have seen in the white ball formats for India. So, this can be a good opportunity for him to make a debut in Tests for the Men in Blue.

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan (Image Source: Twitter)

This young batter made headlines earlier this month by smashing a double hundred in the third and final ODI of the three-match series in Bangladesh. Ishan Kishan is known for his explosive shots. So, he can be a perfect replacement for the injured Pant. Ishan is also busy playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season for Jharkhand.

In this edition, Ishan has scored 180 runs so far in four innings, at an average of 45. He has batted at a strike rate of 71.52. Recently, he has improved his wicketkeeping skills also, especially in the white ball formats. So, this can be a good opportunity for him to make a debut in Tests for team India.   

Upendra Yadav

Upendra Yadav (Image Source: Twitter)

This young wicketkeeper has cemented his place in India A as one of the wicketkeepers. In the recently concluded two-match tour of Bangladesh A, he scored 71* runs and was involved in five dismissals in the first unofficial Test. He has shown his skills with both the bat and gloves in the recent seasons of the Ranji Trophy.

In the 2021 Ranji season, Upendra Yadav scored 107 runs in four innings, at an average of 35.66. In the ongoing Ranji season, he has scored 103 runs so far in five innings, at an average of 20.60. So, this wicketkeeper batter can break into the Men in Blue this time around as a replacement for Rishabh Pant. 

Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha (Image Source: Twitter)

This veteran wicketkeeper can make a comeback in this series to replace injured Rishabh Pant. He last played for India in the longest format of the game on 3 December 2021 against the Kiwis at Wankhede, Mumbai. Speaking of his career, Wriddhiman Saha has played 40 Tests where he has scored 1353 runs in 56 innings. 

He is currently enjoying a good Ranji Trophy season for Tripura. As of now, he has scored 231 runs so far in four innings, at an average of 77. Wriddhiman has managed also one fifty and ton also. So, this series might be a great opportunity for him to make a comeback for Men in Blue.