Why Rishabh Pant Retired Hurt In The Middle Of IND vs SL 2nd Test?

Rishabh Pant retired hurt in IND vs SL 2nd Test (Source: AFP Photos)Rishabh Pant was forced to retire hurt during the ongoing second Test between India and Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo after being hit on his left wrist by a sharp short delivery from Lahiru Kumara. The incident occurred in the 58th over as Pant attempted a ramp shot.Earlier, India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bat first. India entered the Colombo Test after winning the opening match in Galle and must be aiming for a clean sweep in the two-match series.Rishabh Pant Injured? Walks Off Field In IND vs SL 2nd TestRishabh Pant faced Lahiru Kumara when the Sri Lankan pacer bowled a shortish delivery in the first ball of the 58th over. The ball bounced sharply and rushed onto Pant before hitting the strap of his left glove. The Indian star batter immediately looked in discomfort and removed his gloves. The physio rushed onto the field and checked Pant's wrist, and an ice pack was also applied, while the batter was also given fluids. The medical staff later tried taping his left wrist, but Pant was unable to continue. After a brief discussion with the umpires, Pant walked off the field and was officially retired hurt.Also Read: Asitha Fernando Takes Yashasvi Jaiswal's Revenge From Shubman Gill.Vikrant Gupta @vikrantgupta73 Rishabh Pant walks off with a swollen hand, retired hurt. In walks Ravindra Jadeja #IndvsSL Watch The Video Here:crictalk @crictalk7 Aug 23, 2026, 3:49 PM Rishabh Pant's Injury Timeline From 2025India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant faced two major injury setbacks between 2025 and January 2026. The first came during India's Test tour of England, while the second ruled him out of the ODI series against New Zealand.January 2026: Side Strain ruled him out for the New Zealand tour of India 2026.January 10: During India’s training session, Pant faced sudden pain in the right side of his abdomen while batting in the nets.January 11: He underwent an MRI scan, after which the BCCI medical team confirmed that he had suffered a side strain (oblique muscle tear). As a result, he was ruled out of India’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand.July 2025: Foot Injury in ManchesterJuly 24, 2025: During the fourth Test against England, Pant suffered a serious blow to his right foot while attempting a reverse sweep against Chris Woakes. The ball struck his foot, leaving the area badly swollen and causing him significant pain. July 25, 2025: Despite the injury, Pant returned to bat on the second day.July 27, 2025: Further medical examinations confirmed that Pant had suffered a fracture in his right foot.July 28, 2025: The BCCI confirmed that N. Jagadeesan would replace Pant in India’s squad for the final Test.Why Rishabh Pant Is An Important Player For India Despite Injury Setbacks?The fact that cannot be ignored is that Rishabh Pant is an important player for India in Test cricket despite injury setbacks. It is vital to note that, so far in 2026, he has played 2 matches and scored 186 runs at an average of 62.00.Pant is also the 5th highest run scorer for India in WTC 2025-27. Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yashasvi Jaiswal occupy the top 4 spots with only Jadeja batting lower than Pant in the list.Among all these Indian batters, Rishabh Pant has the highest strike rate as his current WTC strike rate sits at 77.18. The second best on this list is Shubman Gill with a strike rate of 63.20. The impact Rishabh Pant has had in India's Test cricket in the last decade has been undeniable and despite all the quetions around him, he will continue to be one of the most important assets for India in the longest format.Also Read: Shubman Gill Beats Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma To Script Massive Record vs Sri Lanka