"If my nerve had been damaged, we would have had to amputate my leg" - Rishabh Pant recalls horrific car accident in December 2022
Team India wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant recently made a startling revelation about potentially amputating his leg after the horrific car accident he encountered in December 2022.
The 26-year-old was involved in a car crash while driving from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee. He reportedly dozed off, leading to his car crashing into a road divider and catching fire.
Local passers rushed to help him, and the cricketer was eventually transported to a hospital in Roorkee before being moved for subsequent treatments.
Speaking to Star Sports, Pant went into the gory details of the accident and its repercussions.
"If my nerve had been damaged, we would have had to amputate my leg. That was when I got really scared, because earlier, I was in so much pain that I couldn't think of anything else," recalled Pant.
Pant added:
"Luckily when the accident happened, I was aware of the wounds, I was lucky as it could easily have been a lot worse than it was. I didn't know what it was that saved me. My right leg was dislocated, I was lying down. I asked somebody for help and thanks to them, I was able to fix my leg back into the right position."
Despite narrowly escaping the ultimate tragedy, Pant suffered multiple injuries, including a ligament tear in his right knee and two cuts on his forehead. He underwent surgery in Mumbai, followed by a lengthy rehabilitation process.
"I wonder how I'm supposed to feel lucky as I had such an accident but the flip side is that I'm still alive" - Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant detailed his contrasting emotions when doctors told him how fortunate he was to escape something much worse. He could not conjure up the positivity to feel lucky despite such an accident, but said that the 'flip side' is that he is 'still alive'.
"Doctors were surprised and told me that I didn't even have a hairline fracture despite having such an accident. Yes, the knee injury was major but this could have been a lot worse. They always tell me that I'm very lucky. I wonder how I'm supposed to feel lucky as I had such an accident but the flip side is that I'm still alive," said Pant, via the aforementioned source.
Pant continued explaining his initial struggles and the feeling of helplessness during the recovery.
"For 30 days, I was bedridden. The friction burns were extreme and initial, y when I was trying to walk, I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to resume walking/running in a normal way. Just to stand up, three to four people had to help me around. Since my childhood, I'm used to running around and doing my things on my own. So, this feeling was disturbing for me and I felt disrespectful to myself as to how anyone can be so helpless," added Pant.
Pant has been out of competitive action since the accident and posting periodic updates on his recovery through his social media handle. As per recent reports, he could return to lead the Delhi Capitals (DC) during the upcoming IPL 2024 season.