I Couldn't go to Airport, Was Nervous About Facing People in Wheelchair: Rishabh Pant

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has opened up on the struggles he went through after a ‘life-changing’ accident in December 2022. Pant was driving to his home in Roorkee when his car collided with a divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway and it left him with multiple injuries.

After initially being treated in Dehradun, Pant was airlifted to Mumbai where he underwent surgery following which the star cricketer began his extensive rehabilitation.

In an chat with JioCinema show ‘Dhawan Karenge’, hosted by India cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, Pant said, “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 wasn’t even sure if I would be alive, but God was very kind to save me.

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Pant revealed he felt nervous facing people at the airport.

“I couldn’t even brush my teeth for two months, and for six to seven months, I suffered with unbearable pain. I couldn’t go to the airport because I was nervous about facing people in a wheelchair,” he said.

Pant though made a stunning recovery and made quite a comeback during the recent IPL 2024 where he led Delhi Capitals. He scored 446 runs from 13 innings at a strike-rate of 155.40.

“Now that I’m making a comeback in cricket, more than feeling pressure, I’m excited. I feel this is kind of a second life, so I’m excited but also nervous,” Pant said.

The wicketkeeper-batter is part of India’s 15-man squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which is being co-hosted by the USA and the Caribbean.

Pant, along with a majority of the squad, left for New York on Saturday. India will face Bangladesh later this week in a warm-up clash before taking on Ireland on June 5 in their tournament opener.

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