- By Himanshu Badola
- Sun, 31 Dec 2023 03:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Rishabh Pant met with an unfortunate horrific car accident exactly last year and suffered multiple injuries that kept him out of cricketing action for a long while.
While he gears up for his return to competitive cricket, former England captain Nasser Hussain is hopeful for his blockbuster comeback in 2024.
Pant was on his road to recovery throughout the year and is now expected to be seen in action straight in the IPL 2024.
He was seen in Dubai on the Delhi Capitals table in the IPL 2024 Auction earlier this month and will most likely be captaining the side once again.
While Pant missed major assignments like the Border Gavaskar Trophy, IPL 2023, World Test Championship final and the ODI World Cup at home, the Indian team had KL Rahul at the service behind the stumps who impressed everyone with his ability to contribute with both the bat and the gloves.
India have had several wicketkeepers taking up the gloves after Pant's injury, but KL Rahul seems to be the first-choice in ODIs and recently in Tests.
Nasser Hussain went on to say that the India team is lucky to have wicket-keeping options but noted that Pant's flamboyance and consistency made him a box-office star.
"India have done well without him (Pant) as KL has come in and been brilliant in all formats," Hussain said, as quoted by ICC's Believe in Magic series.
"They'll continue to be brilliant. They're lucky to have both of them, but Rishabh Pant, before his injury, was box office, and hopefully, after his injury, will be box office as well."
After getting involved in a severe car accident, Pant was fortunate enough to escape the fatal situation by breaking through the windshield.
Pant, who suffered multiple injuries, underwent intricate ligament reconstruction surgery on all three ligaments in his right knee.
Despite his injuries being severe, Pant was quite positive in his recovery as he termed his accident survival his 'second birth' and began sharing updates of his rehabilitation journey on social media.
He was fully supported and watched over by the BCCI throughout the tough times including his rehabilitation program which included strength training, flexibility exercises, and running drills.
"That was such a serious accident. The whole world held its breath and it has been a slow recovery. You follow on social media, on my phone, and the initial first walking steps to the scenes in the gym and then scenes of him playing a bit of cricket, scenes of him with Ricky (Ponting)," Hussain recalled.
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"I traveled with Ricky in the summer in the Ashes, and Ricky was texting him ‘how's the progress coming along’, and he is a box office cricketer," he added.
Talking about Pant's return to international cricket, the Indian team is unlikely to play the rush game and will surely allow the star wicketkeeper-batter to take his time before gaining full match fitness.
