Cricketer Rishabh Pant suffers injuries in car crash in Haridwar

New Delhi/Dehradun: India’s star cricketer Rishabh Pant had a miraculous escape after his luxury car crashed into a road divider and caught fire after he dozed off at the wheel on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in the early hours of Friday. The 25-year-old suffered injuries on his head, back and feet but is in a stable condition, Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police Ajai Singh said. Pant, who was driving to his hometown Roorkee, dozed off, and the vehicle hit the divider before bursting into flames, he said. The driver and other staff of a Haryana Roadways bus passing by helped the cricketer get out of the burning car, he said, adding the car was completely charred in the accident.
“Pant met with an accident in Manglaur in Haridwar district when his car hit a divider at 5.30 am on Friday. He was rushed to Saksham hospital in nearby Rookee from where he was referred later to Max Hospital, Dehradun,” he added. Dr. Sushil Nagar, who treated Pant in emergency, said the cricketer didn’t suffer any fracture but there was a ligament injury on his knee which would require further investigation.
“When he was brought to our hospital, he was fully conscious and I spoke to him. He wanted to surprise his mother and was going back home,” Dr Nagar told PTI. “He had two lacerations (blunt trauma) on his head but I didn’t put stitches. I have recommended him to Max Hospital where a plastic surgeon might see him.“However reports of X Rays conducted at our hospital suggest that there are no bone injuries. Yes, there is a ligament tear on his right knee. How serious it is can only be detected after further investigation and detailed MRI done.” Ligament injuries have various grades and it can take two to six months to regain complete fitness.Dr Nagar said the big bruises on his back, pictures of which have gone viral on social media, are not burn injuries. “The injuries happened because he jumped out of car by breaking the window as soon as it caught fire. As he landed on the side of the road on his rear, the skin was peeled off. But those are not burn injuries and not very serious,” he said.
Dr Ashish Yagnik, medical superintendent at Max Hospital, Dehradun said Pant is being evaluated by a team of orthopaedists and plastic surgeons in the emergency ward. “A detailed bulletin on his condition will be available in around an hour after the evaluation is complete,” he said.
Pant played a big role in India’s two-Test series win against Bangladesh. He had scored a match-winning knock of 93 in the second Test in Mirpur. “We are all concerned but thankfully he is stable. We, at DDCA, are keeping a tab and wish him a speedy recovery,” DDCA secretary Siddharth Sahib Singh said in a statement.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said his government will bear the entire expense of Pant’s treatment. Dhami spoke to the cricketer’s mother and assured her that the state government will provide all necessary support. He also spoke to officials and asked them to make all arrangements for his treatment. Arrangement for an air ambulance should also be made, if required, he said.
However, Pant is a centrally contracted player and the BCCI will take full care of all his medical expenses. “Praying for Rishabh Pant. Thankfully he is out of danger. Wishing @RishabhPant17 a very speedy recovery. Get well soon Champ,” NCA chief VVS Laxman wrote on his twitter handle.
Pant was left out of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka beginning on January 3 as he was supposed to join the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for strength and conditioning programme ahead of February’s Border Gavaskar Trophy. As of now, there is no clarity on his availability for the series against Australia.
Pant has scored 2,271 runs in 33 Tests so far with the help of five hundreds and 11 fifties. He has also represented the country in 30 ODIs and 66 T20Is.