Rishabh Pant on car accident: 'There was a possibility of amputation. That is when I felt scared'

Rishabh Pant has recalled his first thoughts after a near-fatal car accident in December 2022. The India wicketkeeper-batter Pant was travelling from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee when his car lost control. The Delhi Capitals star lost control of the car and sustained serious injuries. Pant continues to recover from the accident and has not played a competitive cricket match since. In a video shared by broadcaster Star Sports, Pant spoke about the accident and his immediate thought. He said that he felt his time in the world is over. Luckily for him, he was rushed to a hospital in Dehradun for primary treatment before being airlifted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Ambani hospital where he received treatment under the guidance of Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) medical team. “First time aisa tha life mein, ho gaya time ab iss world mein. Itna bada ho sakta tha, ye cheej aapko bhi nahi pata tha. Itna accident hone ke baad bhi, I was alive. Something has saved me. Doctor bola yaar ki 16 to 18 months lagenge. Second life har kisi ko toh milti nahi hai (first time in my life, I felt like my time in this world was up. I was lucky, as it could have been even more serious. Despite the crash, I was alive. Something has saved me. The doctor said it would take 16–18 months. I am fortunate to have a second life),” Pant said in the video.

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Pant also revealed that he feared the amputation of his right leg in the aftermath. “If there was any nerve damage, there was a possibility of amputation. That is when I felt scared,” Pant said. “I had taken an SUV, but what I was seeing was a sedan,” he quipped as he remembered his mangled vehicle. Recounting the initial moments after the crash, the 26-year-old said he was in excruciating pain as his right knee had dislocated, turning 180 degrees to the right as he lay face down. “There was someone around so I asked if he could help getting the leg back in the position. He helped the knee get back in place.” After undergoing surgeries to reconstruct all three ligaments in his right knee, Pant did his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The big-hitter said the process is boring at best and frustrating at worst. “I am focusing on recovery cut off from the world. It helps me in recovering fast, especially when the injury is so serious. For recovery you have to do the same thing every day. It’s boring, it’s irritating, it’s frustrating, but you have to do it,” he elaborated. The swashbuckling batter, who was instrumental in India’s monumental win in the Brisbane Test in 2021 that sealed a famous series win in Australia, said the doctor gave him 16 to 18 months recovery time. “Till the time I start playing cricket, I don’t want to plan much for the future. 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 (Doctor) 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,” said Pant. Rishabh Pant is expected to return to cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where he will captain Delhi Capitals. Pant had missed the previous IPL season with David Warner leading the side. That is set to change with Pant positive of a return to the IPL team and to lead as well. He was part of the team’s table during the IPL mini-auction.