He suffered with an accident
Pant was involved in a horrific car accident when traveling from Delhi to his hometown, Roorkee, to surprise his mother ahead of the new year in December 2022. The accident happened on 30th December. Pant suffered multiple injuries, including a ligament tear on his right knee and cuts on his forehead.
Last played in December 2022
Rishabh Pant’s last bit of action at a professional level came during India’s tour of Bangladesh on December 25, 2022. It was the second Test of the two-match series, where the youngster had scored a brilliant 93 in the first innings.
Comeback after 453 Days
However, chasing a tricky 145 for victory on a challenging Mirpur wicket, Pant was dismissed for only nine runs on Day 4 to leave India reeling at 71/6. But Shreyas Iyer and Ravichandran Ashwin rescued the side and helped India script a famous three-wicket win. It turned out to be the last time Pant was seen on the cricket field. After a long 453 days, Rishabh Pant was finally back leading the Delhi Capitals, much to the delight of the entire cricket fraternity. Everyone was really waiting for his comeback.
First Innings since accident
It never looked like Rishabh Pant was making a comeback after a long break. He flexed his arms to reach the widish delivery to only put it away towards the point region. The next ball showed his confidence when he put forward his front leg, like his usual self, to nudge the ball towards the mid-wicket and open his account. The urge to break the shackles was visible in Pant’s foot movement, who charged towards the bowlers in the next few deliveries. The left-hander slammed a boundary off Rahul Chahar’s half-tracker to get things underway. Pant’s moment arrived when he hit an elegant cover drive off Harshal Patel to stamp his authority and announce his arrival. The fans were in awe of Pant’s class and wanted him to stay longer at the crease. However, as cheeky Pant tried to guide the slower bouncer past the keeper, he was caught by Bairstow at the backward point region. Although Rishabh Pant’s innings came to an end on 18 off 13, it was a replica of original Pant’s approach.
Pant also did quick stumping
Lightning Fast Pant also gave his fans a moment to cheer on his return to IPL, as he stumped Punjab Kings keeper Jitesh Sharma quickly. The dismissal was another example of Pant reminding the cricket fraternity of his skills behind the stumps.
Pant in Indian Squad for T20 World Cup 2024
He would surely want to grab his position in the Indian Squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Although the T20 World Cup 2024 venues, the USA and the West Indies will have a slow-paced nature, Pant has displayed his ability to turn the match in India’s favor with his unconventional style.
Kevin Varchand