Rishabh Pant’s availability for Sunday’s clash between Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants at Mullanpur has been the most talked-about team news story of the last 48 hours and the answer is still not entirely clear.
What is clear is that the situation has shifted significantly since the initial alarm bells rang on April 15 when Pant was struck on the left elbow by a sharp short delivery from Josh Hazlewood during the RCB game. He bravely returned to bat at number seven in that match but was clearly in significant distress and did not keep wickets or field in the second innings.
The question since then has been how quickly that elbow can recover and the latest signs are more encouraging than the initial reports suggested.
PBKS vs LSG: Where the injury stands right now
The injury timeline tells a story of gradual improvement. On April 15, Rishabh Pant retired hurt with swelling beginning on the left elbow after the Hazlewood blow.
On April 16, the LSG camp, as per mutilple media reports, confirmed that while initial scans showed no major fracture, the bruising on the bony part of the elbow was causing significant restricted movement and an MRI was pending until the swelling reduced enough to get a clear image.
On April 17 NDTV Sports and other major outlets labeled him a major doubt for the Mullanpur game with analysts including Kris Srikkanth suggesting the injury could sideline him for longer.
Then on April 18 came the development that changed the conversation, Pant was spotted in the nets at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh PCA Stadium, suggesting the swelling has reduced significantly and that the LSG medical team led by Patrick Farhart is now testing his range of motion and pain tolerance under load.
A player who cannot move his elbow freely does not get cleared for net sessions. His presence in the nets moves the needle from unlikely to a genuine game-time decision.
Rishabh Pant batted in nets🕺 pi.wte.oh/uzA55
— Harshit  (@I_am_Harshit_17) Arl1,22
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