Out of action for more than a year now, Rishabh Pant is set to make a comeback in IPL 2024. The wicketkeeper-batter fell victim to a bone-chilling car accident in December 2022 near Roorkee, Uttarakhand. The accident left Pant 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, 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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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 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 said.
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.
{{/usCountry}}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.
{{/usCountry}}All eyes will be on him when he returns in IPL 2024, especially with the T20 World Cup scheduled for this year.
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.