India’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant met with a career-threatening accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in late December. The southpaw who was travelling all alone in his car early in the morning was heading to his hometown to surprise his family members. Nonetheless, he met with a devastating accident when he crashed into one of the divider-linings of the highway.
Fortunately, he was admitted to the hospital on time. The doctors took complete care of the cricketer and gave him basic medication. Rishabh Pant was also shifted to Lilawati Hospital in Mumbai for treatment of a ligament injury. Overall, he underwent multiple surgeries to treat his wounds. On February 8, he was discharged from the hospital. Since then, he tried his best to walk with the help of a walking stick.
A few months later, Rishabh Pant threw his stick away and started walking all by himself, which goes to show that he is recovering well. Meanwhile, in this gap, he missed the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 followed by the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final 2023 against Australia. Delhi Capitals performed miserably in Pant’s absence in IPL 2023 season and finished ninth at the points table.
Rishabh Pant may play IPL 2024 but doubts remain over his ability to keep wickets
Meanwhile, in the latest development, it has been learnt that Rishabh Pant’s future as a wicketkeeper-batsman remains uncertain, although he has shown some signs of recovery. He is expected to be back for the 17th edition of the cash-rich IPL but it is quite tough to predict his wicketkeeping future. A senior BCCI official made it very clear that they do not want to rush with the severe injuries he suffered in a car crash.
“Rishabh’s progress is remarkable. But it is difficult to predict his wicket-keeping future. He may take 6 months to resume wicket-keeping after returning to competitive cricket. We can’t rush with the kind of injuries he suffered in a fatal car accident. Rishabh is young and has a lot of cricket left in him,” a BCCI official told InsideSport on the conditions of anonymity.
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Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) management will be rushing off their feet in search of a new wicketkeeper as a backup for Rishabh Pant for the upcoming IPL season. Delhi Capitals are yet to taste the IPL glory. The Delhi-based franchise finished as the runners-up in IPL 2020 season as they lost to Mumbai Indians in the final.