The Indian wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant is still recuperating after he met with a serious car accident on December 30. Pant suffered multiple injuries after a life-threatening car crash. Last month, he underwent multiple surgeries on his knee and heel in Mumbai and is yet to be discharged from the hospital. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to officially confirm when Pant will return to the field.
Former India legend Kapil Dev said that he wants to slap the left-hander as soon as he recovers from the injuries.
“I have a lot of love for him. I want him to recover so that I can go and slap him and tell him to look after himself. Because of your accident, the entire team is in tatters. I love him, but I am also angry at him. Why do such youngsters of today’s times make such mistakes? There should be a slap for it,” Kapil Dev said.
“First blessings, that he gets all the love in the world, may the almighty give him good health. First that, but after that, like parents have this responsibility to slap the children if they make mistakes,” he added.
Pant was travelling from Delhi to Uttarakhand when his car collided with a divider near Roorkee. After initially being admitted in Dehradun for a few days, the star player was airlifted to Mumbai for treatment of his injuries. Pant will remain out of action for over next six months, which means majority of 2023, including this year's IPL and ODI World Cup in India. As he continues to recover, the star player will also miss the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Former Australia skipper Ian Chappell, one of the most respected voices in world cricket, had said Rishabh Pant's presence would have given sleepless nights to Australia captain Pat Cummins.
"India are really going to really miss Rishabh Pant. The Australians will be happy. He is a counterattacker, the guy who keep you awake are guys who score quickly and changes game in one session. Pant was one such player," Chappell said during an interaction organised by Star Sports, the official broadcasters of the Test series for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.