India's swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant felt his "time in this world" was over when his car went up in flames on December 30, 2022. Pant was driving from his hometown Roorkee when his luxurious SUV crashed into the divider.
While Pant was saved in the accident, he suffered career-threatening injuries. He sustained a ligament tear in his right knee and two cuts on his forehead. He had to undergo a few surgeries to be able to walk again. More than a year after the horrific accident, Pant recalled how he felt when it happened.
"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," Pant told 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.
On January 29, Pant also replied to a video on X saying he wishes that in India people give way to ambulances as well.
“I hope people in India do the same for ambulances. You never know how many lives can be saved by just giving way to a ambulance. We can take this initiative individually just by simply giving way to a ambulance and save lives. Thanks to people who are already doing it,” the southpaw posted.
The 26-year-old has since missed big events like World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23 final, Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and ODI World Cup 2023.
While Pant is yet to make his return to competitive cricket, he is likely to recover before IPL 2024.
So far, it is not clear whether he will be able to take the wicketkeeping duties yet. Last year, he became the first captain to sit at the auction table as the Capitals made major buys in Dubai ahead of the upcoming season.
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