On New Year’s Eve, fans pray for ‘unique’ India batter’s return

On the eve of the New Year, cricket lovers prayed for the return of Team India batter Rishabh Pant, who’s recovering from injuries sustained during a horrific car crash last year.

“Rishabh Pant’s unique style of play and his ability to turn a match on its head are truly box office. He’s a player who can electrify the crowd and change the course of a game in an instant. Eagerly waiting for his comeback,” a fan wrote on Twitter.

“If you are playing Test cricket, you are always gonna miss Rishabh Pant. I am sure, Team India do miss him a lot most importantly his fans do,” another added. 

“He came up the ranks himself, with his hard work and determination. He will do the same again, let BCCI and management do anything, he will again prove his worth with a spectacular comeback. His journey has been nothing short of amazing,” a third stated. 

Like the fans, former England captain Nasser Hussain predicted a highly successful return to action for India batter Rishabh Pant, who’s been out of action for more than a year due to a near-fatal accident. 

“That was such a serious accident. The whole world held its breath and it has been a slow recovery,” Nasser Hussain told the ICC.

“You follow on social media, on my phone and the initial first walking steps to then scenes in the gym and then scenes of him playing a bit of cricket, scenes of him with Ricky (Ponting),” he added. 

“I travelled with Ricky in the summer in the Ashes, and Ricky was texting him ‘how’s the progress coming along’, and he is a box office cricketer,” Nasser Hussain noted. 

“India have done well without him (Pant) as KL has come in and been brilliant in all formats. They’ll continue to be brilliant. They’re lucky to have both of them, but Rishabh Pant, before his injury, was box office, and hopefully after his injury, will be box office as well,” Nasser Hussain explained. 

On 19 December this year, Rishabh Pant attended the IPL auction in Dubai in what was the first sign that he was about to return to competitive cricket.

“You know, as a kid, I used to think one day I might be able to sit on the [auction] table, somehow to help a team or something like that,” Pant said in a video posted on social media by the IPL handle. “I never thought that I will make it happen but somehow things are in place and I’m able to do it, and [I am] lucky to be able to do it. I think, hopefully, it will be an amazing experience because this is something new [for me]. Lots of love for the fans and hope we get whatever we want from the auction, I guess,” he told the IPL.

“Nervousness is definitely one point I’ve to work on because whenever you do something exciting or new, the nervousness is always there. Yes, this is my first time but I want to grow as an individual and learn whatever I can from it. [It’s] really exciting because I don’t know many people have done it or not, but I would love to be part of it – something exciting, something new,” he pointed out.

“The kind of accident I had, [I’m] lucky to be alive. I think it was very challenging, especially the first part I would say more from a physical point of view because in the starting there was a lot of pain to be endured. But just looking at the journey till now, I think it’s been going really well from a recovery point of view. I felt like I couldn’t face people and all, and I felt like I had to do something which gives me confidence,” Rishabh Pant noted.

“I think [I’m] much better [compared to] what I was doing a few months ago. Still on recovery to 100%, but hopefully in a few months’ time I’ll be able to do that. It’s been really amazing because whenever we are playing, we feel no one loves us because there is always pressure and so many things. Yes, it’s a hard time but I came to know people love us, respect us and the kind of appreciation and concern people have shown over a period of time because of my injury,” the India wicketkeeper-batter stressed.

“It was heartfelt – crazy for me – because it means a lot as an individual when you’re going through a very rough time. It’s not only physical [recovery], it’s mentally also and if your supporters and the people support you and love you, it means a lot, and it really helps in recovery,” Rishabh Pant underlined.

Earlier, India spinner Axar Patel revealed new details of Rishabh Pant’s near-fatal car crash from last year.

On 30 December 2022, Rishabh Pant, a vital cog in Team India’s scheme of things across formats, met with a fateful accident on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and barely survived as his car went up in flames.

Recalling the incident, Axar Patel disclosed that he wasn’t aware of Rishabh Pant’s accident until he received a call on his phone.

“Subah 7 ya 8 baje mere phone pe ring baji. Pratima di ka phone aya. Pratima di ne mujhe pucha ki ‘teri Rishabh se kab baat hui thi last?’ Mene bola ‘nahi, kal karne wala tha lekin kal nahi ki mene’. ‘Are uski mummy ka number ho toh mereko send kar, uska accident ho gaya hai’. Matlab pehla thought mereko aaya ki ye bhai gaya (Early morning I got a call from sister Pratima. She asked me when did I talk to Rishabh Pant last? I told her that I was about to talk to him last day but I did not. Pratima said that she needed Pant’s mother’s contact number as the player has met an accident. At the first time, I though he is gone),” Axar Patel said in a video shared by the Delhi Capitals.

For the unversed, Pratima is the wife of Team India pacer Ishant Sharma.

Rishabh Pant is the captain of the Delhi-based franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After missing the 2023 season of the cash-rich league, the southpaw is all geared up to lead the side during the 2024 season.

“The kind of accident I had I am lucky to be alive. The first part of recovery was so challenging with lots of pain but now recovery is going well,” Rishabh Pant recently informed his fans in a post on X.

“More from a physical point of view because in the starting there was a lot of pain to be endured. But just looking forward to the journey till now. I think it’s been going really well from a recovery point of view.”

“I felt like I couldn’t face people and all, and I felt like I had to do something which gives me confidence and I wanted to support my team at the same time because I’ve been playing for them. I love my team all the way, so I wanted to show my support even in the worst times. So that was the idea and I think it’s part of the recovery process.”

A week before his accident last year, Rishabh Pant powered India to a 2-0 whitewash of Bangladesh in the Test series in the neighboring country.

In the process, Rishabh Pant joined a select band of Indian wicketkeepers, including former captain MS Dhoni to complete 4,000 runs in international cricket.

Subsequently, his near-fatal crash drew a sharp reaction from the 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev.

Kapil Dev, known for his harsh assessments, was critical of the cricketer’s decision to drive the vehicle when he met with an accident on the Delhi Dehradun highway.

According to Kapil Dev, Rishabh Pant could easily afford a chauffeur to drive his vehicle, which would minimize such incidents.

“This is a learning. When I was still an up-and-coming cricketer, I faced a motorcycle accident. From that day onwards, my brother didn’t even let me touch the motorbike. I’m just thankful to god that Rishabh Pant is safe,” Kapil Dev said in an interaction with ABP News.

“Yes, you have a good-looking car with great speeds but you have to be careful. You can easily afford a driver, you don’t have to drive it alone. I understand that one has hobbies or even passion for such things, it’s natural to have it at his age, but you also have responsibilities. Only you can take care of yourself. You have to decide things for yourself,” Kapil Dev added.

Following the accident, Rishabh Pant underwent surgery after three ligaments in his right knee suffered damage in the horrific crash.

“It is hard for me to say if everything around me has become more positive or even negative. However, I’ve gained a fresh perspective on how I view my life now. Something I value today is enjoying my life to the fullest and this includes the smallest of things that we ignore in our daily routine. Everyone today is hustling and working extremely hard to achieve something special, but we’ve forgotten to enjoy the little things which give us joy every single day,” Rishabh Pant said two months after his surgery.

“Especially after my accident, I’ve found happiness in even being able to brush my teeth every day as well as something like sitting under the sun. While trying to achieve our goals, it seems like we’ve taken the regular things in life for granted. My biggest realisation and message would be that feeling blessed every day is also a blessing, and that’s the mindset I’ve adopted since my setback and being able to enjoy every moment which comes my way is a takeaway I have for myself,” he concluded.