"He was battered and bruised, scarred all over" - Ravi Shastri describes Rishabh Pant's return to cricket post car accident as a 'miracle'
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has described Rishabh Pant's return to cricket following his car accident in 2022 as a miracle. Shastri recalled that he met the keeper-batter in a hospital a month after his accident and felt that he might not be able to play cricket again.
Just a few days after featuring in the two-match Test series in Bangladesh in December 2022, Pant was involved in a horrific car accident while returning to his home town Roorkee from New Delhi. He underwent surgery and returned to competitive cricket with IPL 2024 after an extensive rehabilitation period. Subsequently, Pant was part of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"Honestly, if you had seen him you would not have given him a hope in hell to play cricket again. I will never forget it. He was in terrible shape. I went to see him in hospital a month after he was injured. He was battered and bruised, scarred all over," Shastri was quoted as saying by news.com.au, as per a report in news agency PTI.
"He had a massive operation and had stitches all over the place. From there to simply recover and play cricket was a miracle. To then go on and play in a World Cup-winning team and be a part of the Test team is a truly remarkable achievement," the former India all-rounder went on to add.
"If not for some good Samaritans and his own presence of mind which prompted him to break the windshield of his car, the accident could have turned fatal for him," Shastri opined.
Leading Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024, Pant scored 446 runs in 13 matches at an average of 40.55 and an excellent strike rate of 155.40, with three half-centuries to his credit.
Pant's return to Australia an unthinkable prospect when he was bailed up in hospital: Ravi Shastri
The Indian Test team is in Australia for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins in Perth on November 22. Pant has an excellent record in the red-ball format in Australia. In 12 innings, he has scored 624 runs at an average of 62.40, with one hundred and two fifties.
"His return to Australia for this tour in form and a man Australia fears, an unthinkable prospect when he was bailed up in hospital unable to walk," Shastri said in praise of Team India's stumper.
"When you speak to him now the respect he has for the game is even more. He was nowhere and suddenly he is back and he values that. But I have seen him work really, really hard over the past few months to get in to the shape he is to play Test cricket," the 62-year-old added.
Pant (27) was among the few positives as India succumbed to a shocking 3-0 loss at home against New Zealand in a three-match Test series. The left-handed batter was the leading run-getter in the series, with 261 runs in six innings at an average of 43.50. The southpaw struck three half-centuries with a best of 99.