Tracking Rishabh Pant’s road to recovery through his social media posts
Team India keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s life turned upside down on December 30, 2022, when he met with a horrific car accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. His vehicle crashed into a divider and subsequently caught fire. Pant, however, managed to escape from the car by breaking the windscreen, although he sustained severe injuries due to the impact of the crash.
The Delhi cricketer was immediately rushed to a hospital thanks to some help from the public. The stumper underwent surgery for his injuries and, subsequently, began his rehabilitation. In the latest development in Pant’s amazing recovery story, the 26-year-old played a warm-up game in Alur near Bengaluru on Tuesday, February 20.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Pant is all set to lead the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. However, the report claimed that the left-hander will feature in the tournament as a pure batter, with another player taking up keeping duties.
While Pant has been away from cricketing action due to his car accident, he has been constantly sharing updates with fans on social media. With reports of his comeback doing the rounds, we track Pant’s road to recovery through his social media posts.
January 16, 2023: Pant shares a post for the first time since the accident
On January 16, 2023, Pant took to his social media handles to thank fans, well-wishers, teammates doctors as well as the BCCI for their support and good wishes.
The cricketer also shared a picture from his hospital bed, thanking Rajat Kumar and Nishu Kumar, two good Samaritans, who helped him after his accident and ensured he got to the hospital safely.
February 10, 2023: Pant shares pictures with crutches and a motivational message
In February last year, the keeper-batter shared a couple of pictures in which he is seen with crutches and a bandaged foot. He shared the images with a positive caption.
March 15, 2023: Pant takes a walk in a swimming pool
In March, Pant shared a video in which he was seen taking a walk in a swimming pool with the help of a stick. He posted the video with another poignant caption.
May 5, 2023: Pant walks without crutches
In a major sign of improvement, the Indian cricketer shared a video of him walking without crutches in May 2023. He captioned the post as “Happy NO MORE CRUTCHES Day!”.
June 14, 2023: Pant shared a video while climbing stairs
Taking another 'step' in the positive direction, Pant posted a video of him climbing stairs in June 2023. He was in a bit of discomfort but was seen smiling nonetheless. “Not bad yaar Rishabh,” he wrote while uploading the clip.
August 28, 2023: Pant shares workout video
Showing further signs of recovery, the 26-year-old shared a short clip of him doing some light workouts. He was seen doing a paddle exercise and enjoying it as well.
September 4, 2023: Pant posts another workout clip
By September 2023, Pant was beginning to get a lot more active with his workout regime. He shared a video of him doing some hand and leg exercises and a bit of running.
October 5, 2023: Celebrating his birthday at the NCA
Apart from working hard on his rehabilitation, Pant also had his moments of fun at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He celebrated his birthday with teammates Axar Patel and Prithvi Shaw in October 2023, who were also recuperating at the NCA at that point.
November 3, 2023: Seeking divine intervention
In November 2023, Pant and Axar took some time out of their recovery schedule and decided to seek divine intervention by paying a visit to the Tirupati Balaji Temple in Andhra Pradesh. The former posted a few pictures from the spiritual trip on his social media handles.
December 5, 2023: Pant gets into hardcore training mode
By December 2023, a year after his horrific accident, Pant was ready to work even harder towards his comeback. He posted a video in which he was seen doing proper workouts, including lifting weights.
February 12, 2024: Pant shares inspirational video on his recovery
Earlier this month, the keeper-batter shared a video with glimpses of his recovery journey, from walking with the help of support to running on his own. He uploaded the clip with an inspirational message.
February 20, 2024: Pant posts video of a practice session
On Tuesday, February 20, the Team India gloveman shared a video of a proper practice session in which he was seen doing some keeping drills and batting as well.
Fans and the cricket fraternity in general are hoping to see Pant on the cricket field soon, doing what he does best - entertain!