By Rohit Juglan
Rishabh Pant’s return to England as Team India’s vice-captain kicked off with an intense, purposeful practice session — but it wasn’t without a brief scare. The southpaw, who has fought back valiantly from his accident, looked sharp in the nets at Beckenham. Yet, it was a quiet, reassuring moment off the field that truly stood out: a smile, a handshake, and two simple words — “All OK.”
Pant began his session with a clear plan. First up were throwdowns from Dayanand Garani and Raghu, as he worked on rhythm and footwork. From there, it was straight into facing India’s spinners — Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja — before taking on the pacers: Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj.
There was calmness in his stance early on, attacking when the ball was there to be hit, but also careful when required. A couple of bat-pad chances aside, he looked largely in control. Notably, he seemed to dial up the aggression against the spinners, stepping out, slog sweeping, and testing the boundary ropes. Against pace, his focus shifted to precision: meeting the ball under his eyes, watching it closely.
What raised eyebrows was a brief mid-session conversation with Gautam Gambhir. It’s unlike Gambhir to intervene during net sessions. GG usually saves feedback for after. The fact that he spoke with Pant while nets were still on said it all: he’s keeping a very close eye on India’s new vice-captain.
Then came the only moment of concern. One delivery thudded into Pant’s left arm. He grimaced, came out immediately, and the team doctor was on the scene with an ice pack. A bandage followed, and for half an hour, Pant was seen resting and recovering.
Just before boarding the team bus, he walked up to me. “How are you, bhaiya?” he asked with his trademark grin, offering a handshake. I asked about his arm. He smiled again, “All OK.” A quick check with the team doctor confirmed the same.
It’s just Day 1 in England, but Pant’s presence, composed, confident, and quietly fiery is already unmistakable. As India’s campaign builds, his form and fitness could very well be the heartbeat of what lies ahead.