India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant met with a dreadful car accident on Friday (December 30) morning while going to his hometown Roorkee from Delhi.
Pant was on the way to meet his family before he would have reported to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for a knee-strengthening rehabilitation programme for two weeks.
The southpaw fell asleep while driving and lost control of his Mercedes car, ramming it into the divider and causing the crash.
Luckily for Rishabh, a bus driver named Sushil Kumar, who was present at the spot, came to his rescue.
Sushil saw Pant’s car crashing and catching fire when he was driving on the other side of the road.
"We were coming in a different direction. I was returning from Haridwar and he was driving from Delhi. There is a road divider in between. We had stopped our bus at Gurukul Narsan. At that place the speed automatically comes down, we drive around 45 kmph. I have seen a vehicle coming from a distance wobbling from one side to the other," Sushil recalled while speaking to Cricbuzz.
"I was expecting it would crash and in just 10 seconds it rammed into the divider. It breached the divider and had three-four tumbles and then came into our side of the road. I was expecting it to crash but did not know it would come to our side. I stopped my vehicle, and saw the car in flames."
The conductor of the bus, Paramjeet told Cricbuzz, "It happened at around 5.14-15 AM, right in front of our eyes. We pulled him out and we thought he was dead. We actually kept him on the divider. I told the driver to check the vehicle if there is anyone else. By then a few passengers came out of our bus. At that stage, the vehicle exploded and we all moved away from the burning car. Soon, he became conscious and told us no one else is in the car. I asked him who he was and he told us he is an India cricketer."
Since Sushil does not follow cricket, he had no idea about Rishabh Pant’s identity but he was happy to help.
"Whoever he was, we would have done what we have. He asked for water and we gave him a little. It was my duty, anyone in that place would have done what we have. No credit is due. I just performed my humanitarian responsibility. I did not know he is such a big star of Indian cricket, I thought he is just like any other person. Anyone would have done the same I suppose."
Paramjeet also echoed Sushil’s thoughts and said: "First of all, the question never arises why we did. Because we are always on the road. It could happen to us someday. My parents have given me that much culture that we should help the needy. If a passenger says he has no money to buy the ticket, I let him travel. Who knows when such a fate would befall me or my parents."
When asked if there was any call made to Rishabh’s family, Paramjeet revealed: "No, he himself wanted to call his mother in that semi-conscious state. A bus passenger dialed his mother's number but it was switched off."
The Haryana Government has reportedly announced an award for Sushil and Paramjeet but they think there is no need for it.
"We do not want any awards. We are employees of the Haryana government and we did what we had to, or any human would do. We will be happy if Rishabh Pant gets well soon and his Ballah does the talking again," said Sushil.
(With Cricbuzz inputs)
