India vs Australia 2020: Rishabh Pant ruled out of 2nd ODI following concussion

What's the story?

Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will not take part in the team's second ODI match against Australia as he is yet to recover from the concussion that he suffered in the first match after being hit by a bouncer from Pat Cummins. Earlier it was learned that Pant did not travel with the team to Rajkot and now, BCCI has released a statement confirming his unavailability for the upcoming game.

The background

A short-pitched delivery from Cummins had hit Pant hard on his head during the 44th over of the Indian innings. The wicket-keeper batsman lost his wicket on the same ball and did not return to the field after that. KL Rahul kept the wickets for the Men in Blue in the second innings.

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The heart of the matter

As reported by PTI, BCCI issued a statement on the 22-year-old's fitness and mentioned the following details in the release:

"He (Pant) is ruled out of the 2nd ODI. His availability for the final ODI will be based on how he responds during the rehabilitation protocol. After getting hit on his helmet while batting in the 1st ODI, Rishabh got a concussion and took no further part in the game. He was then taken to the hospital for overnight monitoring under a specialist. He is stable and all his scan reports are clear. He has been discharged from the hospital and will head to NCA, Bengaluru to undergo his rehabilitation protocol."

What's next?

With Pant ruled out of the second ODI, the team management would hand over the wicket-keeping responsibilities to either KL Rahul or Kedar Jadhav. It will be interesting to see how the Indian team lines up in the Rajkot ODI now that Pant's out of the picture.