Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant’s resilience and passion for the game came to light once again as his surgeon revealed the wicketkeeper-batter’s first question after his near-fatal car crash in December 2022: “Am I ever going to be able to play again?”
The revelation was made by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, who treated Pant following the horrific accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The crash left Pant with a dislocated right knee, a severely injured ankle, and extensive skin loss from the nape of his neck down to his knees. He was pulled from the wreckage just moments before the vehicle caught fire.
Dr. Pardiwala described Pant as “extremely lucky to be alive,” noting that the severity of his injuries could have led to leg amputation had the blood supply been compromised. “When your knee dislocates and all the ligaments tear, there’s a high risk of damaging the main blood vessel. If that happens, you have only a few hours to restore circulation,” he explained.
Pant’s recovery spanned 635 days and involved multiple surgeries, intensive physiotherapy, and a grueling rehabilitation process. His return to international cricket—marked by back-to-back centuries in the 2025 Test series against England—has been hailed as one of the most inspiring comebacks in Indian sports.
Dr. Pardiwala also noted a transformation in Pant’s outlook post-recovery, describing him as more mature and philosophical. “He appreciates life more deeply now. That’s something you often see in people who’ve stared death in the face,” he said.
