The dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman, Rishabh Pant, is poised to return to competitive cricket in IPL 2024 following a challenging recovery from injuries sustained in a devastating car accident in December 2022. Pant, known for his flamboyant style on the field, will be leading the Delhi Capitals in the upcoming season after missing IPL 2023. The 26-year-old faced a grueling rehabilitation process after suffering a severe right knee injury that necessitated ligament reconstruction surgery, in addition to a fractured wrist and ankle.
Thulasi Yuvraj, a Physiotherapist at the National Cricket Academy, vividly remembers the moment he visited Pant after the accident.
"When we came to know he had an accident, our head of sports science, Nitin bhai, basically told us just to go and take care of the initial stage of rehab," physio Yuvraj said in a video posted by BCCI.
The physiotherapist vividly remembers a moment when Pant experienced excruciating pain and tears after sustaining a minor injury in the hospital.
"The first thing I could notice, he is having severe pain was when the ward boy was trying to push the stretcher towards the room and it slightly hit the pathway. He started screaming with so much pain. It was a simple jerk but it felt so painful, he cried immediately. Then I realised, oh something big has happened," said Yuvraj.
The physiotherapist at the NCA disclosed that initially, doctors had estimated it would take Pant two years to fully recover. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman exhibited remarkable mental fortitude and dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the rehabilitation program, ultimately regaining his fitness in a shorter timeframe.
"The mental strength and confidence inside him made us give our 100 percent in doing the rehab part for him. The doctors were of the opinion that he may take up to two years. Once he came to NCA, it was like a progressive phase for him," said Yuvraj.
Another physio from the National Cricket Academy, Dhananjay Kaushik, commended Pant for diligently maintaining his nutrition during the rehabilitation process. He stated that Pant successfully completed all the necessary steps for recovery in an exemplary manner.
"If someone needs to be commented on his nutrition, it is Rishabh himself. If you look at overall things, when we started the rehab and where he is right now, this guy has done a lot of hard work, when it comes to ticking all the boxes. Whether it's nutrition, his own recovery, his sleeping pattern, he checked all the boxes of recovery in a very fine manner," said Kaushik.
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