Rishabh Pant issues first statement after accident

Pant was involved in a road accident in the early hours of 30 December as he was driving from Roorkee to New Delhi. 

Eyewitnesses and videos that surfaced later showed Pant’s car had caught fire but he was able to escape. The BCCI confirmed that the left-hander had suffered injuries to his head, back and feet. He had two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and had also hurt his right wrist, ankle, toe and suffered abrasion injuries on his back.

The BCCI then arranged for Pant to be shifted from Dehradun to Mumbai for further treatment. 

The update stated that Pant would undergo surgery and subsequent procedures for the ligament tears he suffered and would be monitored by the BCCI medical team going forward. 

“The Board will make every effort to aid and expedite the recovery process of Rishabh and will provide him with all the support he needs during this period,” the statement said.

Pant has now issued his first statement since the accident, stating that his surgery was a success and that he was bracing up for a long road to recovery. He also thanked various people for their support throughout. 

Pant tweeted: “I am humbled and grateful for all the support and good wishes. I am glad to let you know that my surgery was a success. The road to recovery has begun and I am ready for the challenges ahead. Thank you to the BCCI, Jay Shah & government authorities for their incredible support.” 

He further continued in another tweet, “From the bottom of my heart, I also would like to thank all my fans, teammates, doctors and the physios for your kind words and encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you all on the field.”

Though a timeframe hasn’t been provided for Pant’s return to cricket, he has not been named in the squad for the first two Tests of Australia’s tour of India in February and March.