Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, a sensation in the world of cricket, has recently revealed deeper details about the dreadful car accident that nearly claimed his life in December 2022. The hair-raising incident brought forth the grim possibility of a leg amputation, as recounted by Pant himself.
The catastrophe unfolded on the morning of December 30th, 2022, while Pant was traversing the road from Delhi to Roorkee. His car’s collision with the median divider led to a scenario that could have ended his cricketing aspirations and dramatically altered his life. In a candid revelation on the Star Sports show ‘Believe: To Death & Back,’ Pant delved into the critical moments after the accident, disclosing his immediate fears of potential nerve damage and subsequent amputation. His recount of that traumatic time included a chilling description, “If there was any nerve damage, there was a possibility of amputation. That is when I felt scared.”
Pant, during the course of the show which aired on August 24th, 2023, recalled with clarity the urgencies following the crash. “I had taken an SUV, but what I was seeing was a sedan,” he said, illustrating the shocking transformation of his vehicle post-accident. As fate had it, benevolence was within reach in those critical moments. He reached out to an onlooker for help to reposition his injured leg, a decision that proved to be a small but significant victory amidst the chaos.
He narrated with gratitude how this individual helped him realign his knee. The ordeal was further intensified by the urgent extraction from his mangled car executed by Rajat Kumar and Nishu Kumar, mere moments before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. “It was the first time I had such a feeling in life. At the time of the accident, I was aware of the wounds, but I was lucky as it could have been even more serious,” Pant reflected on his luck amidst misfortune.
The 26-year-old cricketer, revered for his explosive batting and ingenuity behind the stumps, expressed a pronounced desire to return to the pitch. He shared his candid conversation with his doctor regarding the rehabilitation timeline, emphasizing his eagerness to return to cricket by trimming the expected recovery period. “I asked the doctor how long will it take for me to recover. I told him that everybody is speaking different things, but you will give me the most clarity about it. He said it would take 16 to 18 months. I told the doctor from whatever timeline you give me, I will reduce six months from it,” declared the Delhi Capitals captain, his determination shining through the uncertainty of recovery.
As he reflected on his future, Pant conveyed a sense of living in the present and not getting ahead of himself, especially until he makes his resolute comeback to the sport that defines much of his life. The idea of planning for times ahead seems to be on pause, at least until the sound of the leather ball striking his bat reverberates across cricketing grounds once again.
Pant’s trauma in the aftermath of the crash has not only brought forth his vulnerability but also illuminated his unwavering spirit and passion for cricket. It is a story of human resilience, an athlete’s undying resolve to go beyond physical setbacks, and an epitome of Pant’s personal motto echoed in the title of the show – to believe, to death and back.
His journey through recovery is closely followed by a country that regards cricket as a near-religious experience, and with the collective hope of millions, there’s an eagerness to see Rishabh Pant don the blue jersey once again, creating magic on the cricket field, away from the specter of that fateful day that almost changed everything.
