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Follow UsIn December 2022, Rishabh Pant encountered a horrific car crash, which shook the nation. The initial concern was whether he would even survive it. But then, in the next year and a half, he did not just recover, and when he returned to professional cricket, it seemed as though he had never left. The accident may have taken over a year of his life on the field, but the work, dedication and perseverance he showed off the field have allowed him to reap the rewards.
Since playing his last Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur, the wicketkeeper-batter has returned to the team that will take on the visiting Bangladesh side. Life has come to a full circle for the 26-year-old, and on that note, let’s pause for a second and look back at what Pant has been through in these last 20 months.
December 25, 2022
India beat Bangladesh by three wickets in the second Test in Mirpur to win the series 2-0. Pant scored 93 in the first innings to help India secure a lead of 87.
December 30, 2022
Pant met with an accident on the highway near Roorke and sustained injuries to his head, knee, shin and back. He was rescued by the locals and admitted to a hospital in Dehradun.
January 4, 2023
For further treatment, Pant was airlifted to the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai and was under the direct supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, Head of the Centre for Sports Medicine and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service. In the past, Pardiwala treated cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh.
January 6, 2023
The diagnosis of Pant’s injury was that he had torn all three key ligaments in his knee - anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament. He underwent surgery and got two (PCL and MCL) of those fixed, while surgery on the third (ACL) happened the following month.
January 14, 2023
According to ESPNCricinfo's report, Pant was set to be out of action for at least six months, meaning he would not be available in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and consequently, his chances of playing the 2023 ODI World Cup at home remained wafer-thin.
January 16, 2023
For the first time since his accident, Pant publicly thanked those who took good care of him after the accident. “I am humbled and grateful for all the support and good wishes."
"I am glad to let you know that my surgery was a success. The road to recovery has begun, and I am ready for the challenges ahead,” he tweeted.
May 5, 2023
He checked into the NCA at the start of the summer, and his recovery was going so well that less than six months after his accident, he was able to walk without the help of his crutches. However, his chances of returning to competitive cricket did not look possible until the end of the year. That meant Pant was not going to feature in the ODI World Cup.
March 5, 2024
Behind the scenes, his hustle continued, and after months of toiling at the NCA, he was finally declared fit to participate in the upcoming edition of the IPL.
March 12, 2024
After successfully completing his rehabilitation, the BCCI announced that Pant would be fit enough to play as a wicketkeeper in the IPL 2024.
March 19, 2024
Pant was announced captain of DC, taking over from David Warner, who filled in for the wicketkeeper-batter the previous season.
March 23, 2024
Pant played his first competitive game since his accident against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2024 in Mullanpur. He scored 18 off 13 in his first match back. In the 13 matches he played, he took 11 catches and inflicted five stumpings.
He also finished as the leading run-getter for Delhi Capitals, scoring 446 runs at a strike rate of 155.40.
April 30, 2024
After a successful IPL, Pant was named in India’s 15-member T20 World Cup 2024 squad – his first international assignment since his accident.
June 5, 2024
Pant played his first international game since his accident, which came in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 opener against Ireland in New York. He top-scored with an unbeaten 26-ball 36 to help India to a comfortable eight-wicket victory.
June 29, 2024
India beat South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2024 final in Barbados to clinch their second title in the format.
Pant finished as India’s third-highest run-getter with 171 runs at a strike rate of 127.61, and he was clinical behind the stumps with 14 dismissals to his name – the most by a wicketkeeper in the tournament.
August 7, 2024
Pant was still recovering from his injuries when the 50-over World Cup in 2023 came along, but he returned to the format against Sri Lanka last month.
He scored six off nine deliveries as India went down by a massive 110-run margin.
September 8, 2024
Pant was named in India’s Test squad for their upcoming series against Bangladesh – marking a return to the longest format for the first time since his accident. If there are no further hiccups, Pant will take guard against the Bangladesh unit in Chennai on September 19, nearly 21 months after he graced the field in whites.
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