India star Pant ‘stable’ following horror crash
Multiple injuries after car flipped and caught fire
INDIA star Rishabh Pant was in a stable condition last night after suffering multiple injuries in a motor accident when his car turned over and burst into flames. Pant, 25, was alone in the car when it crashed between Manglaur and Narsan, close to his hometown of Roorkee in the northern state of Uttarakhand.
It was reported that he lost control of the vehicle when he ‘dozed off’ early yesterday.
‘Rishabh has two cuts on his forehead and a ligament tear in his right knee. He has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back,’ said Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
‘His 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 are in constant touch with Rishabh’s family while the medical team is in close contact with the doctors currently treating him. 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.’ Pant’s car was severely damaged in the accident, after it was reported to have hit a divider on the road and caught fire. Pictures on social media showed Pant (left) being led away from the wreckage by locals, blood running from the lacerations to his head. India’s flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman was initially taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre, where he was treated for impact injuries, before being moved to Dehradun.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi led the messages of support, tweeting:
‘Distressed by the accident of noted cricketer Rishabh Pant. I pray for his good health and well-being.’
Delhi Capitals, the Indian Premier League franchise that Pant captains, added: ‘We’re sure he’ll get out of this stronger. Get well soon, Rishabh.’
Initial X-rays suggested Pant — who saw orthopedics and plastic surgeons after his admission to hospital — suffered no fractures and avoided burns to his body but he will have further medical checks today.
Those assessments will be key in determining how long the talented left-handed batsman, who has played in 33 Tests for his country, will be sidelined.
Pant, who was named in the ICC’s Test team of the year for 2021, was not included in India’s squads for their Twenty20 and one-day international series with Sri Lanka, beginning January 3.
Instead, he was scheduled to undergo a strength and conditioning programme at the country’s National Cricket Academy to prepare for the Test series against Australia that starts in February.