Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Dec 30: In a shocking incident, India star cricketer Rishabh Pant was involved in a horrific car accident in the wee hours of Friday when his Mercedes SUV he himself was driving hit on the road divider and caught fire.
The wicketkeeper-batter, who is believed to have dozed off while on the wheels, had a miraculous escape and managed to break a window shield and was half out of the car when he was rescued by the driver of a Haryana roadways bus coming from the opposite direction and rushed him to the hospital.
The accident occurred on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in Manglaur in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district around 5.30 am, police said. The 25-year-old, who was on his way to his hometown Roorkee to surprise his mother, suffered injuries on his head, back and feet but is in a stable condition following the accident
The media reports said the results of Rishabh Pant’s MRI of the brain and spinal cord has returned as ‘normal.’ He has also undergone plastic surgery intervention for facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions. Pant will have an MRI on his ankle and knee on Saturday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has provided an update on the health condition of the 25-year-old cricketer. Pant has two cuts on forehead and a ligament tear in right knee but is currently stable, read a statement from the cricket body.
“India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant met with a car accident early on Friday morning near Roorkee, Uttarakhand. He was admitted to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre where he was treated for impact injuries. Rishabh has two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back,” the BCCI statement read.
“Rishabh’s condition remains stable, and he has now been shifted to Max Hospital, Dehradun, where he will undergo MRI scans to ascertain the extent of his injuries and formulate his further course of treatment.” “The BCCI is in constant touch with Rishabh’s family while the Medical Team is in close contact with the doctors currently treating Rishabh. The Board will see to it that Rishabh receives the best possible medical care and gets all the support he needs to come out of this traumatic phase,” the statement added.
He had to break the windscreen of the car to escape after the vehicle caught fire. The driver and other staff of a Haryana Roadways bus passing by helped the cricketer get out of the burning Mercedes Benz, said Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh. The car was completely charred and reduced to a mangled heap. Director General of Uttarakhand Police, Ashok Kumar, has confirmed that the cricketer was alone in the car at the time of the accident and broke the windscreen to escape from the vehicle after it caught fire.
The Haryana Roadways bus driver who was among the people who took Pant out of the Mercedes SUV after it crashed into the road divider said he did not know who the injured man was and acted swiftly to arrange for an ambulance. Sushil Mann, the bus driver said the SUV was coming in high speed from the opposite direction and it hit the divider. “I put my bus on the side and quickly ran towards the divider,” Mann said.
“I thought the car would flip under the bus as it was turning over and over before it stopped,” he said. “The driver (Mr Pant) was half out of the window. He told me he’s a cricketer,” Mr Mann said, adding the cricketer asked him to call his mother, whose phone was, however, switched off. “I don’t watch cricket and I didn’t know this is Rishabh Pant is. But others in my bus recognised him,” Mr Mann said.
“After removing Rishabh, I quickly searched the car to check if anyone else was there. I took out his blue bag and ₹ 7,000-Rs 8,000 rupees from the car and gave it to him in the ambulance,” he said.
Wishes and prayers poured in from all quarters for star India cricketer. “Distressed by the accident of noted cricketer Rishabh Pant. I pray for his good health and well-being,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter.
“Wishing you a very speedy recovery. My prayers are with you,” tweeted cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar as his former teammates also joined him in posting their messages for the dashing keeper-batter. Former India batter and National Cricket Academy chief VVS Laxman said: “Praying for Rishabh Pant. Thankfully he is out of danger. Wishing @RishabhPant17 a very speedy recovery. Get well soon Champ.”
“Wishing dear Pant a super speedy recovery. Bahut hi Jald swasth ho jaao,” tweeted former India opener Virender Sehwag. “The Board will see to it that Rishabh receives the best possible medical care and gets all the support he needs to come out of this traumatic phase,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with Rishabh Pant as he fights his way back to recovery… We will provide him with all the necessary support,” Mr. Shah added in a tweet.
IPL franchise Delhi Capitals also wished speedy recovery for their skipper as head coach Ricky Ponting also sent his message from Down Under. “Thinking about Rishabh. Get well soon, Skip,” DC tweeted. “Hope you’re on the mend and back on your feet soon,” Ponting wrote.
Wily Afghan spinner Rashid Khan also took to social media to wish him. “I hope you are ok bhai praying for your quick recovery get well soon champ.” Pant’s Delhi and India teammate Shikhar Dhawan tweeted: “Thank you God ki kaafi bachaav hogaya. Sending you lots of healing, prayers and positivity. May you regain your strength and good health soon.”
“Speedy recovery, my friend. Praying for you to get well soon,” tweeted his India teammate Shubman Gill. “My thoughts and prayers are with Pant and his family,” wrote India pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Wishes also came in from across the border with Pakistani speed gun Shaheen Shah Afridi tweeting: “Praying for Pant.” “Hope there’s nothing serious Pant. I wish you a quick recovery and many prayers bhai. InshaAllah you will be fine and back on the field very soon,” wrote Pakistan seamer Hassan Ali.
England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow, who broke his leg and dislocated his ankle during a freak injury while playing golf in September, also joined in wishing Pant. “Never nice to see people in accidents but relieved he’s stable and at the hospital! For now I think now people should let him rest and recover in private!” Bairstow tweeted.
“Praying for the recovery of Pant. Hope he comes back stronger in national colours soon!,” wrote World Cup winner and former India selector Krish Srikkanth. Olympic champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra tweeted: “My thoughts and prayers are with Pant. Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope to see you back to doing what you do best.”
Legendary India legspinner Anil Kumble, former India lefthander Suresh Raina, and former India women’s pacer Jhulan Goswami also wished Pant a fast recovery.