India’s star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was injured in a car crash on December 30, is on his way to recovery. However, he is likely to miss cricket for a considerable time.
He has undergone knee surgery to repair his ligaments and is on the road to recovery. He is likely to remain out of action for a minimum of six months.
What happened
After a horrific car accident last December that saw him escaping without life-threatening injuries, Pant is expected to miss India’s Test and ODI series against New Zealand and Australia. The star wicketkeeper-batsman is likely to remain out of action for a significant period of time and the BCCI has issued an injury update that confirms his long-term absence from the game.
According to the report, Pant suffered three ligament tears in his right knee during the accident and is now undergoing rehabilitation. He is under the care of renowned surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who has been working closely with the BCCI medical team to ensure that his progress continues in the best possible manner.
Apart from the torn ACL, Pant also sustained two cuts on his forehead and has hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe, and back. The BCCI has said that Pant will need to undergo another surgery in about a month.
The first surgery went well, with the surgeon successfully reconstructing Pant’s posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament in a marathon three-hour operation. He is currently undergoing further treatment in Mumbai.
In the meantime, Pant is receiving good wishes from the cricketing fraternity. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and former Indian all-rounder Gautam Gambhir have taken to Twitter to wish him a speedy recovery from his injuries.
Pant’s recovery depends largely on his rehab and training regime once he is released from the hospital. Once he is fit enough, the former Delhi Capitals player will be able to resume his full-fledged practice.
It has been reported that the surgery will take up to five months for Rishabh to recover completely. After that, he will be able to return to full-fledged training and cricket practice.
Despite this, Pant is expected to miss a large portion of 2023 and the world cup next year. His absence from the field is a major setback for the Indian cricketing team and many fans, as he has been one of the finest keepers in the country’s history.
Surgery
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has airlifted Rishabh Pant to Mumbai, where he is being treated under the supervision of one of its empanelled sports orthopaedic surgeons. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman sustained injuries in a car accident on Friday when his vehicle collided with a road divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
According to the BCCI, Pant suffered two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and also hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back. He was rescued by two good Samaritans.
He was first taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre in Roorkee, before being shifted to Max Hospital in Dehradun for further treatment. He was subsequently airlifted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai on January 4 at the BCCI’s behest.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo, a medical update to the BCCI on Pant says that he tore all three of his knee’s key ligaments and surgery will be needed in about six weeks from now. The wicket-keeper is expected to miss a number of marquee tournaments like the Indian Premier League and ODI World Cup 2023 while his recovery time will probably take up to six months, as per reports.
Despite his setback, Pant is still determined to make a full recovery and get back on the field as soon as possible. In an Instagram Story post a few days ago, the stumper said that he is enjoying the little things in life and he is grateful for the support of his fans.
The recovery period after any major surgery is very painful and can be dangerous. As such, patients need to follow doctors’ advice word by word so that they can return to normal activity in a timely manner.
Pant is undergoing rehabilitation and strengthening sessions so that he can get back to playing as soon as possible. His progress will be monitored and he could be called back for selection in a couple of months after completing the rehabilitation process.
The BCCI is in constant contact with its medical team and Pant’s doctor, Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. The cricketer will remain in Mumbai and will undergo further treatment there until he’s fully recovered.
Recovery
A few days ago, Rishabh Pant announced that he has begun taking baby steps towards recovering from his injuries. He shared a few pictures of himself walking on crutches in a post that melted the hearts of his fans.
The former India Test batsman has been undergoing treatment for a knee ligament injury. He has already undergone one surgery, which has been successful. However, he will need to undergo another surgery in the near future.
According to reports, he may not be back on the field until the end of 2023. The 25-year-old could miss the upcoming Test series against Australia and the IPL 2023, as well as the 2023 ODI World Cup.
It’s expected that Pant will undergo a further surgery this month, which means he could be out for a minimum of six months. This will be a major setback for the Indian cricket team.
In the meantime, he’s being looked after by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala and his team at Max Hospital in Dehradun. They have reconstructed his anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments in a marathon three-hour surgery, but he will need to undergo another surgery for his medial collateral ligament later this year.
While this will put him out of action for a significant amount of time, the BCCI is confident that Rishabh will be able to get himself back on the field soon. They will be in constant contact with Dr Pardiwala and the hospital to ensure that he is getting the best possible care.
Meanwhile, the young Indian wicketkeeper-batsman has taken some baby steps toward recovery from his injuries and he has been sharing pictures of himself walking on crutches on Instagram. He also said that he is ready for a comeback.
The BCCI has informed that Pant will be undergoing a knee ligament surgery and will be airlifted from Dehradun to Mumbai to undergo extensive treatment. The board will make every effort to expedite his rehabilitation and will provide him with all the support he needs.
Comeback
Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has a long way to go before he can play again, but the 25-year-old is making excellent progress in his recovery from his car crash last month. He has now posted an encouraging message about his rehabilitation on Twitter, giving fans a sigh of relief that he is recovering well and will soon be back on the cricket field.
On Monday, Pant thanked his fans and well-wishers on Twitter for their support and good wishes as he continues to receive treatment. He also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India, its secretary Jay Shah and the government authorities, alongside the team of doctors and physios who helped him after his accident.
According to a report by News18, the nature of the injuries that Pant sustained in his December 2022 car accident require a lot of recovery time and may keep him away from the cricket field for a significant period. This could see him miss the IPL this year, the 50-over World Cup in October this year, a WTC Final next year, half of this year’s World Test Championship cycle and the IPL 2024 and T20 World Cup in June next year.
As per ESPNcricinfo, Pant suffered a ligament tear in his right knee during the crash. Two of the three key ligaments in his knee have already undergone surgery, and he will undergo the third surgery after six weeks.
Pant is reportedly stable and is expected to be hospitalised for around three months, before he will regain full fitness. He will then need to rest for the first few weeks of his return to action, before gradually putting on weight and improving his fitness.
Former India captain Ajay Jadeja believes that Pant’s injury is a blessing in disguise for him, as it will help him to get a better understanding of his game and make him a better player.
It will also give him the opportunity to improve his batting and bowling, which is a crucial part of his game. He will need to regain his form in white-ball cricket as he has been dropped from the national T20 and ODI squads in recent months due to poor performance.
