NEW DELHI: Rishabh Pant is literally back from the jaws of death. It was on December 30, 2022, that the star Indian wicketkeeper-batter was involved in a life-threatening car accident near Roorkee in Uttarakhand.
Pant was driving his Mercedes SUV from Delhi to Roorkee to surprise his family for the New Year when the car collided with a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
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The car subsequently caught fire.
The accident occurred early in the morning and Pant had reportedly lost control of the car after falling asleep at the wheel.
Now in Perth for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, Pant while talking to a Fox Cricket commentator, Pant described how things have changed after the life-threatening accident.
On being asked that what he has learnt from the experience, Pant says, “I think one of the few most important things is like more gratitude in life, yes I would say cricket is part of it, but you are looking at things with a different perspective, because whatever that’s happening in life is good, we are thinking life is not happening this way or that way, whatever happens in life is for good, that’s the only thing, that’s how I look at it. So more gratitude, more humble, more hungry, that’s what I’ll say.”
On his different approach to wicket-keeping in Perth, Pant says, “I think I have to stand a long way back but it’s much better than wicket-keeping on the rank turners (in India). I wouldn’t say easier, but when you’ve just finished your wicket-keeping on rank turners, this would be a better one for sure.”
Pant had suffered multiple ligament tears in his knee and ankle, there were lacerations on his forehead, burns on his back and other minor injuries across his body.
Despite the severity of the accident, there were no fractures or injuries to his brain or spine.
Pant was pulled out of the burning car by local truck drivers, who were praised for their quick actions. Initially admitted to a local hospital in Roorkee, he was later shifted to Max Hospital in Dehradun.
Following preliminary treatment, he was flown to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai for surgery and further recovery.
Pant’s injuries required multiple surgeries, especially for ligament repair, and he was ruled out of cricket for most of 2023.
Pant displayed remarkable resilience during his recovery and started walking with the help of crutches by early 2023.
Pant’s accident was a stark reminder of the fragility of life, and his journey back has been a testament to his mental and physical strength.