‘Especially after my accident, I’ve found happiness in…’: Rishabh Pant shares touching recovery experience

Rishabh Pant, who was injured in a vehicle crash in December 2022, is making some decent progress towards recovery.  After ripping three major ligaments in his knee, the India wicketkeeper will miss the most of 2023.

With his achievements in the 2020-21 Border Gavaskar Trophy, Pant’s standing as a key member of the Indian squad has steadily increased over the last several years. The ODI World Cup will be held in India in October 2023, and he was their leading run-scorer in Tests during the previous two years.

But, things are more difficult now because of the accident. It might be two years before Pant returns to playing, according to Sourav Ganguly, a member of the management staff for Pant’s IPL side, the Delhi Capitals.

Pant posted an image of himself on crutches earlier this month, his right leg in a bandage, and talked to IANS about the transitions he’s had to make.

“It is hard for me to say if everything around me has become more positive or even negative. However, I’ve gained a fresh perspective on how I view my life now. Something I value today is enjoying my life to the fullest and this includes the smallest of things that we ignore in our daily routine. Everyone today is hustling and working extremely hard to achieve something special, but we’ve forgotten to enjoy the little things which give us joy every single day.

“Especially after my accident, I’ve found happiness in even being able to brush my teeth every day as well as something like sitting under the sun. While trying to achieve our goals, it seems like we’ve taken the regular things in life for granted. My biggest realisation and message would be that feeling blessed every day is also a blessing, and that’s the mindset I’ve adopted since my setback and being able to enjoy every moment which comes my way is a takeaway I have for myself.”

It is now part of Pant’s daily routine to undergo three physiotherapy sessions. “I do have my daily fruits and fluids in between them. I also try to sit under the sun for some time, and this process will continue until I’m able to walk properly again.” He misses cricket “because my life literally revolves around it, but I am focusing on getting back to my feet now and I cannot wait to get back to doing what I love the most.”

Also, READ: ‘Khud bhi karo bhai’: Virat Kohli hilariously trolled for giving slip catching practice to teammates

One step forward

One step stronger

One step better pic.twitter.com/uMiIfd7ap5

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) February 10, 2023

With Pant’s absence, the Delhi Capitals have not yet named a new captain. On April 1, 2023, they’ll face the Lucknow Super Giants in the first match of the Indian Premier League.

(With inputs from IANS)