India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday. Pant, the swashbuckling batsman, also made an appeal to citizens to get vaccinated as soon as possible if they are eligible to receive the jab.

"Got my first jab today. When you are eligible, please step up and get the vaccine. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can beat this Virus," Pant tweeted. Earlier this week, pacer Jasprit Bumrah skipper Virat Kohli, fast bowler Ishant Sharma, and batsman Cheteshwar Pujara also received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Last week, Umesh Yadav, Shikhar Dhawan, and Ajinkya Rahane had taken their first jab. Pant, Rahane, Umesh, Ishant, Kohli, Bumrah, and Pujara will be next seen in action when India locks horns against New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC).

A BCCI official said that it will need some more time before a clear picture can be drawn regarding the completion of vaccination for all India Test cricketers who are to head to the UK on June 2. The WTC final gets underway on June 18 and will continue till June 22 with June 23 kept as a reserve day. While it was initially set to be played at the Lord's, the ICC decided to move it to Southampton with an eye on the COVID-19 situation across the globe.

The BCCI has named a 20-member squad (two subject to fitness clearance) which will also have standby players. Of the four standby players, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has tested positive for COVID-19.