Rishabh Pant, the Indian keeper-batter, opened up about his near-fatal car accident which happened in December 2022. Pant was on his way from Delhi to his hometown in Dehradun and met with an accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway near Roorkee.
He was saved from the burning car by passerby and was rushed to a local hospital for emergency medical aid. He sustained injuries to his head, back, and feet including two cuts on his forehead and a ligament tear to his right knee. He also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe and suffered abrasion injuries to his back.
After receiving initial treatment in Dehradun, BCCI got him airlifted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Ambani hospital, where he underwent surgery for his knee injury.
During his recovery period, Pant missed important Indian team engagements like the Australia Test series, IPL 2023, WTC Final, Asia Cup, and ODI World Cup. He has been at the NCA focusing on his recovery under the watchful eyes of the medical staff there.
The NCA took charge the moment Pant’s wounds healed and his body was in the shape to begin the long road to rehab.
In a candid conversation with Star Sports ‘Believe’ series, Rishabh Pant delved into the harrowing experience that nearly cost him his life and the remarkable resilience that propelled him towards redemption.
“First time in my life, I felt like my time in this world is up. During the accident, I was aware of the wounds, but I was lucky as it could have been even more serious. I felt that someone saved me. I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover, and he said it would take 16-18 months. I knew I had to work hard to cut this recovery time,” recalled Pant.
Rishabh Pant is set to return and lead the Delhi Capitals side in the IPL 2024 edition, but whether he’ll keep wickets remains uncertain.
