Rishabh Pant retired hurt on day one of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Sunday, 23 August 2026, after a short ball struck the India wicketkeeper on his left arm.
The blow came in the third session of play, with Pant on three runs from 15 balls, as reported by The Tribune.
Sri Lanka seamer Lahiru Kumara bowled short, Pant attempted to pull behind square, missed the ball, and it crashed into his left arm.
How Rishabh Pant retired hurt in the 58th over
Kumara’s delivery was short and directed at the body, a length that gives a batter the choice of the pull or evasive action. Pant chose the pull, the ball beat the shot and struck the arm, and he grimaced immediately as the Indian team physiotherapist came onto the field.
Retiring hurt is not a dismissal. A batter who leaves the field injured keeps his wicket and may resume the innings later, provided the fall of wickets allows it. Pant walked off in the 58th over with his score standing at three from 15 deliveries.
What treatment Pant received before walking off
An ice pack was applied to the hand and the area was then taped. The strapping was removed while Pant remained visibly in pain, and he left the middle alongside the physiotherapist rather than continuing.
No assessment of the injury has been released by the team.
Ravindra Jadeja came to the crease in his place, joining Devdutt Padikkal. India had elected to bat first earlier in the day, and Saransh Jain was handed his Test debut in the same match, giving the tourists a changed look to their side in Colombo.
The position carries a second consideration. A wicketkeeper who cannot use both hands cannot keep, and India would need a substitute behind the stumps if Pant is unable to take the gloves when Sri Lanka bat.
Nothing has been confirmed about his availability for that phase of the match.
What happens next after Rishabh Pant retired hurt
Whether Pant returns to bat depends on the medical assessment and on how India’s innings unfolds. A batter who has retired hurt may come back when a wicket falls, so the option remains open to him for as long as the first innings continues.
India will want its first-choice wicketkeeper available for the remaining days in Colombo.
The team has not issued a statement on the injury, and the answer will come from the middle rather than a media release, either when Pant walks back out to bat or when someone else takes the gloves.
