Indian wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant remains on the sidelines after sustaining serious injuries in a devastating car crash on December 30. Pant was involved in a horrific car crash while en route to Roorkie, resulting in multiple injuries that have kept him out of the game for at least a year. He has torn three key ligaments in his knee, two of which have already been surgically repaired, with a third operation expected in the coming six weeks.
While an outpouring of well-wishes has been flooding in, one unexpected statement from a legendary Indian cricketer has come as a complete shock.
Kapil Dev, in a video on Uncut, stated that Rishabh Pant's absence has left the Indian team in disarray. Just as parents have the right to reprimand their children when they make mistakes, Kapil expressed a desire to do the same to Pant once he has recovered.
"I have a lot of love for him. I want him to recover so that I can go and slap him and tell him to look after himself. Because of your accident, the entire team is in tatters. I love him but I am also angry at him. Why do such youngsters of today's times make such mistakes? There should be a slap for it.
"First blessings, that he gets all the love in the world, may the almighty give him good health. First that, but after that, like parents have this responsibility to slap the children if they make mistakes," said the legend cricketer.
Without Pant, the Indian team management is searching for solutions to fill the void in the middle order. Not only for wicketkeeping purposes, but also for batting. Pant's swashbuckling and attacking style, his ability to take the bull by the horns and counter-attack when the chips are down are qualities that will be sorely missed by India. The only player who can play a similar role from that position is Suryakumar Yadav. Surya, who has been a revelation in T20Is, has earned his maiden Test call-up and there is a strong possibility of him slotting into India's middle order to play a Pant-like innings.
India will face Australia in a four-match Test series that kicks off February 9th in Nagpur. India have dominated the last three Test encounters between the two powerhouse sides, and under Rohit Sharma's leadership, they will be determined to keep that streak alive.
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