Rishabh Pant: From Hospital Bed to India’s Test

If there were to be a book on a cricketer’s comeback from downfall, Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant would be fit for it after he made an incredible return from the horrific car accident that almost took his life and made him sit out from the Gentlemen’s game for a period of 2 years. But as it is said, when life has something left for you, you should take it fully like the star Indian cricketer who not only proved his fitness but also made it into India’s T20 World Cup squad, playing a crucial role in winning the trophy.

However, it was never easy for the Indian cricketer, whom the doctor had said would have very little chance of representing India again. Still, he kept calm and believed in himself. Rishabh Pant’s cricketing career has been full of ups and downs. After playing a knock of 308 runs in the Ranji Trophy for Delhi, the southpaw batter became a sensation among Indian fans and the BCCI, who saw him as a potential replacement for the former Indian cricketer MS Dhoni as a wicket-keeper batsman for the Indian national cricket team.

Following a similar performance over the years, where he scored the fastest hundred in the Ranji Trophy and the Zonal T20 league, he was brought into the Indian side in 2017. Later, due to his consistent performance, he was awarded the title of ICC Men's Emerging Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards in 2018. That's not all; in February 2021, he was also named Player of the Month in the Men’s category.

However, in 2019 and 2020, things were not as positive as the left-handed batter faced a dip in his cricketing career. He failed to perform, and KL Rahul was named as the replacement for the legendary cricketer MS Dhoni, who announced his retirement from international cricket after failing India to win a match against New Zealand in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2019.

Due to his poor performance in the 2020 season of the IPL, he was dropped when India toured Australia in 2021 for the limited-overs matches. But Pant didn’t stop believing in his skills and bounced back on the final day of the reputed Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2020–21. Pant emerged as a knight in shining armor when he scored 89 runs off 138 balls! His impeccable batting stance helped India chase down the target of 328 runs set by the Aussies, who had not been defeated at the Gabba since 1988! Later, he also smashed 101 runs off 118 balls in a Test match against England, which included 14 boundaries and 2 sixes!

The Iconic Birmingham Knock

This knock by Rishabh Pant has been among the best in international cricket, where Pant changed the course of the game with his fine batting. When India was stumbling at 64/3, he played brilliantly and tallied a score of 146 runs in just 111 balls, helping India get out of the precarious situation.

He also scored a half-century on Day 4 of the Test match in just 76 balls. Even though he got out at 57 runs, he managed to break a record that had been held for 72 years by Clyde Walcott, former wicket-keeper batsman of West Indies. The record was for scoring the highest runs in a Test match by a visiting wicket-keeper in England.

Road Accident

India's star wicketkeeper-batter was traveling to his hometown Roorkee on December 30, 2022, when he met with a horrific road accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. As a result, he suffered multiple injuries to his head, leg, knee, and back and was hospitalized. This unfortunate incident derailed his career as he spent months in recovery and has since made substantial progress. He underwent intricate procedures in February 2023 on all three ligaments in his right knee. Throughout this recovery period, Pant regularly updated his progress via social media, as his loyal fans were anticipating his return to international cricket. He even shared a picture on Instagram of his 'first walk' post-surgery.

The talented southpaw described his accident as a 'second birth' and has made significant progress, thanks to the support from the BCCI and his rehabilitation program.

Rishabh Pant was out of the game he loved the most for 16 long months. However, he made a strong comeback to the Indian squad after an impressive performance in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League, where he was among the leading run-scorers, scoring 446 runs in 13 games with an average of 40 and 3 fifties to his name.

His incredible performance with the bat and crucial wicket-keeping behind the stumps led to his return to the Indian team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Rishabh Pant has been in sensational form since his return to the Indian side in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He was among the leading run-scorers for the Men in Blue with 171 runs in 8 games, averaging 24 and including 1 half-century to his name. Rishabh Pant's cricketing journey is no less than inspirational for athletes all over the world. The way he is playing after a fatal car accident is a gift from God for the 26-year-old cricketer.