Having been out of action for more than a year, Rishabh Pant is gearing up for a comeback in IPL 2024. The wicketkeeper-batsman encountered a chilling car accident near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, in December 2022, which left him with a ligament tear in his right knee and two cuts on his forehead.
Since that accident, he has been out of competitive cricket. Gearing up for his expected comeback, Rishabh Pant was present at the Delhi Capitals table for the IPL 2024 auction, and also attended a DC camp in November.
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Pant’s Near-Death Ordeal: Grateful for a Second Chance
Recently, Pant opened up on his accident in a conversation with Star Sports. The 26-year-old revealed that he thought that his time in the world was up, and was lucky that it wasn’t more serious.
“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 sensed that someone had spared my life. Inquired with the doctor about the recovery duration; he mentioned 16-18 months. I realized I needed to put in extra effort to shorten this healing period ” Rishabh Pant said.
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Rishabh Pant Absence: World Cup Final and Test Defeats, Bharat as Replacement Wicketkeeper
Pant’s absence has been sorely missed within the national team unit. India lost to Australia in the World Cup final, and a player of his calibre would have been pivotal in the middle order. Meanwhile, in Test cricket, India lost for the first time after taking a lead of more than 100 at home, crashing to a defeat against England. In his absence, KS Bharat has been donning the wicketkeeper role in Tests.
Due to the accident, he also hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe and sustained abrasion injuries to his back. First, he was admitted to Saksham Hospital near New Delhi, and then was transferred to Max Hospital in Dehradun. The car reportedly caught fire when it collided with a central divider on the road, and reportedly took place at 5:30 AM, which saw the vehicle skid for about 200 metres before hitting the divider.
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