- By Manik Sharma
- Tue, 30 Jan 2024 08:37 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been out of action for more than a year now, having played his last competitive match in December 2022 against Bangladesh.
Pant shared his traumatic experience of a life-threatening car accident that occurred soon after, leaving him with a ligament tear in his right knee and out of action since then.
Opening up about the incident for the first time, Pant revealed the horrifying moments when his Mercedes collided with a divider near his hometown Roorkee, and the car burst into flames in the early hours of December 30, 2022. The 26-year-old cricketer expressed that, for the first time, he felt like his time in this world was coming to an end during the accident.
"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," PTI quoted Pant telling to Star Sports.
"I was feeling that someone saved me. I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover, he said it would take 16-18 months. I knew I had to work hard to cut this recovery time," he added.
Despite suffering a ligament tear and two cuts on his forehead, Pant considered himself fortunate that the injuries were not more severe. After undergoing surgery in Mumbai, Pant is on the path to recovery and is expected to make a comeback in the upcoming IPL.
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Pant's absence was felt by the Indian cricket team during the clutch moments in the World Cup final against Australia.
Recently, India faced a rare test defeat against England at home after taking a lead of more than 100. KS Bharat has been filling the wicketkeeper role in Pant's absence in tests while KL Rahul is keeping the wickets in ODIs.
The accident resulted in injuries to Pant's right wrist, ankle, toe, and abrasions to his back. The car reportedly caught fire after colliding with a central divider, skidding for about 200 meters. Pant was initially admitted to Saksham Hospital near New Delhi and later transferred to Max Hospital in Dehradun.
While Pant missed crucial matches due to his recovery, the spotlight is now on his return to the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2024.
