India's wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant, continues to make impressive strides in his recovery journey following a harrowing car accident in December last year. The 25-year-old cricketer, hailing from Roorkee, was recently sighted at the revered shrine of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. Notably, Pant is approaching his birthday on October 4 and chose to visit this sacred temple to seek blessings as he prepares for his significant day.
Since the accident, Pant has been diligently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. A few weeks back, he was even spotted honing his batting skills, showing encouraging signs of progress. His absence has been deeply felt by the Indian cricket team, with Pant missing out on pivotal events such as the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2023, IPL 2023, World Cup 2023 and the entire cricket calendar in 2023.
Pant's last appearance for India was against Bangladesh in December 2022, where he accumulated an impressive 148 runs from three innings at an average of 49.33 and a strike rate of 91.35, including one half-century.
Following the series, he had returned to his hometown, Roorkee, to celebrate the New Year with his family. Unfortunately, en route, he experienced a horrific car accident, caused by fatigue-induced drowsiness. The vehicle even caught fire, but Pant managed to escape with the help of locals who came to his aid.
The wicketkeeper-batsman is expected to require an extended period to regain full fitness before making a comeback for the Indian cricket team. In his absence, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan have been added to India's World Cup squad for 2023, bolstering the team's wicketkeeping options. Earlier, Ishant Sharma, the star India pacer had hinted that Pant could even miss IPL 2024.
"I feel we might not see Rishabh Pant in the next IPL as well because it is not a small injury. It was a very serious accident. He has just started batting and wicketkeeping and to run and turn after that, there are a lot of things, which is not easy for a wicketkeeper and a batter," Ishant had said in an interview with Jio Cinema.