For the longest time, the competition between Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant for the wicketkeeper’s slot in India’s Playing XI as intense. Rishabh Pant rose to superstardom thanks to his epic knocks across Australia, England, South Africa, and was earmarked as MS Dhoni’s successor in all formats, while Samson paid the prize for inconsistency.
But when Rishabh Pant was out indefinitely due to a near-fatal car crash and was uncertain about recovering in time for the T20 World Cup, Samson was in with a chance. He scored a century for India in an ODI against South Africa in January and has enjoyed his best-ever IPL season, scoring 504 runs with the possibility of more.
Rishabh Pant’s tryst with destiny
Rishabh Pant indeed has defied all odds physically after an horrifying accident making him fit to play as Delhi Capitals skipper and wicket keeper and is amongst runs and his usual hitting spree this season. None for the second it is been thought that Rishabh Pant is the same guy who was caught almost in a non moving condition a year ago.
In cricket some destinies are destined , Hardly anyone knew that the hero of the famous Gabba win and the swashbuckling middle order wicket keeper batter in Tests Rishabh Pant would meet the fate of destiny to halt his cricketing journey for a brief period of time. The Indian team who had the torrid time in ICC events in 2023 and by year end a horrified test match vs South Africa had surely remembered and missed Rishabh Pant.
As fate could have it on the morning of December 30 2022, Rishabh Pant on his way back home met with a fateful accident and had a lucky escape. However this accident indeed turned out to be fateful for the Indian Cricket Team over the next year 2023 as Indian selection committee was caught in dilemma to replace a player like caliber of Pant who with his pyrotechnics with the bat could swing the game anytime in team’s favour especially in red ball cricket.
Rishabh Pant through his flamboyance in the tour down under 2021-22 and the English tour months later had already made a mark in the mind of former cricketers and India seemed to have found an able hitter at No 6 who could now be compared to likes of Adam Gilchrist of Australia changing the facet of how test cricket could be played.
Pant (26) had a lucky escape after he was severely injured in a car accident that took place on the morning of December 30, 2022. The stumper’s car collided with a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.
Rishabh Pant’s return to usual self in IPL 2024
Rishabh Pant’s remarkable journey to full fitness for the IPL, following a life-threatening car accident 14 months prior, has silenced any lingering doubts about his abilities. Despite a cautious start with the bat, the talented and composed cricketer swiftly regained his form, showcasing his trademark efficiency behind the stumps and his audacious stroke play. Far from being subdued by his time away from the game, Pant’s absence seems to have sharpened his unorthodox style and playful demeanor.
Embracing his second chance with gratitude, the DC captain has approached his game with a newfound sense of adventure, balanced with maturity, evident in his performance for the struggling Capitals. Eventually, both Sanju and Rishabh Pant got the nod and secured a place in India’s 15-man squad. Despite scoring fewer runs and looking unsure in patches, the belief was that Pant would pip Samson and start as India’s wicketkeeper in the T20 World Cup.
But the raging-hot form displayed by the Rajasthan Royals captain has entirely changed the narrative. On current form, and depending on where RR finishes in the IPL 2024, Samson can hold the edge over Pant, who scored 446 runs for Delhi Capitals this season at an average of 40.5 and strike rate of 155.4.
After recuperating, Pant has demonstrated his peak physical condition and form, establishing himself as a standout choice. Despite competition from players like Sanju Samson, Pant’s prowess is undeniable. Ahead of T20I World Cup, where Rishabh Pant is now ready to serve India yet again, opens up on the horrific experience he had after the life threatening accident.
Rishabh Pant opens up on insecurities after horrific car accident ahead of T20I WC
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant revealed that after his life-threatening road accident in December 2022, his injuries were such that he could not even brush his teeth for two months. Rishabh Pant on Monday featured on the second episode of ‘Dhawan Karenge,’ a talk show hosted by Indian opening batter, Shikhar Dhawan on JioCinema.
During the episode, the 26-year-old cricketer shared his experience after sustaining life-threatening injuries from a horrific accident that left him with multiple fractures and required ligament reconstruction and treatment for a knee injury. These injuries were critical to his career, but he recently made his comeback in IPL 2024 after a 15-month rehabilitation. While opening up on his post-injury experience, Rishabh shares,
“Self-belief and self-confidence are very important while recovering from an injury because there are people saying all sorts of things around you, and you, as an individual, have to think about what’s good for you. The accident was a life-changing experience for me.
When I got up after it, I was not even sure if I would be alive, but God was very kind to save me. I could not even brush my teeth for two months, and for six to seven months, I suffered with unbearable pain. I could not go to the airport because I was nervous about facing people in a wheelchair.”
Speaking on his international return , he further added,
“Now that I am making a comeback in cricket, more than feeling pressure, I am excited. I feel this is kind of a second life, so I am excited but also nervous.”
Pant also revealed that one incident in his life that made his mother angry was when he was in fifth grade. It was when his father brought him a cricket bat worth Rs 14,000 and his mom got “super angry” with his father’s gift to his son.
“It was my father’s dream to become a cricketer, and I am glad I could fulfil it. I decided I wanted to be a cricketer when I was in the 5th grade. My dad gifted me a bat worth Rs 14,000, and my mom got super angry,” he said.
In the recently concluded IPL 2024, Rishabh’s team Delhi Capitals finished in the sixth spot with seven wins, seven losses and 14 points and failed to move to playoffs. He scored 446 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of over 155 with three half-centuries and emerged as the team’s top run-getter. Now, Pant will make a comeback to international cricket during the ICC T20 World Cup, starting from June 1 in the West Indies and the USA. India will start its campaign on 5th June vs Ireland.