Indian Wicketkeeper Batsman Rishabh Pant is making a comeback to cricket in IPL 15 months after he got into a horrible car accident in late December 2022 while driving from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee.
Pant has Undergone Multiple ligament surgeries in his right knee and remains in rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The doctor had assumed 16- 18 months for pant recovery. Now after almost 15 months, Pant is making His comeback in cricket in IPL 17th edition. Pant will play his 1st match against PBKS on March 23 after his accident.
Pant has been part of Delhi Capitals since 2016. He had already led Capitals in 2021–2022. Under Pant’s Captaincy Capitals had been into the playoffs in 2021. In Absence of Pant, David Warner captained the capitals in 2023. Pant was given clearance by the BCCI to play as a wicketkeeper batter in this year’s IPL.
Pant has smashed a total of 2,838 runs in 98 matches at an average of 34.61 and a strike rate of over 147, with a century and 15 fifties to his name in 2021.
The Head Coach of Delhi Capitals had expressed Pant’s absence in ipl and its impact on DC and its players. Ponting said “We missed him incredibly last year. The whole tournament missed him. Rishabh brings so much energy to the team. He’s got that smile on his face, he’s hitting the ball as good as ever and he tends to lift all of his teammates around him,”
Rishabh Pant had also expressed his feelings to play after 15 months in IPL. Pant said “Jittery, nervous, excited- all of it, but at the same time, just happy, being able to come back to professional cricket. I’m just looking forward to playing my first game tomorrow,” on March 22.