India captain Rohit Sharma opened up on star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s injury concern during the recently-concluded 1st Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Pant, who suffered a life-threatening car crash in December 2022, limped off the field on Day 2 after receiving a blow to his operated knee. While he did come out to bat and scored 99 runs in the second innings, Dhruv Jurel kept the wickets for the team during New Zealand’s successful 107-run chase on Day 5.

Speaking after the match, Rohit admitted that Pant will have to be treated carefully.

“He had a massive operation on his leg. It’s just to be a little careful about where he is at and what he is to us. Even when he was batting, he was not comfortably running. He was trying to only put the ball in the stands,” Rohit said in a post-match press conference.

“So, we just need to be extra careful because he has had a lot of minor surgeries, and one big surgery on his knee. He also went through trauma in the last one and a half years. So, when you are keeping, you have to bend your knee. The wicket being what it was, we thought it is the right thing to do for him to stay inside and then get 100% ready for the next one,” he explained.

Rohit also hailed Pant for his knock in the second innings where he missed his century by a solitary run. The Indian captain suggested that the team management wants to give freedom to the flamboyant keeper-batter.

“No one knows what goes in his mind, he decides what he wants to do and that is the kind of freedom, we want to give to him because he has produced performances with that kind of mindset,” Rohit added.

New Zealand took a 1-0 in the three-match series after beating India by 8 wickets in Bengaluru. The second Test begins on Thursday in Pune.