“Rishabh Pant was going to surprise his mother”

ROORKE: India star cricketer Rishabh Pant was on his way to surprise his mother ahead of New Year when he met with the accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, Dr Sushil Nagar of the Saksham Hospital, where he was rushed to, has revealed.

Pant escaped the near-fatal accident on Friday with burn injuries among others that will require plastic surgeries and he could be airlifted to Delhi if required.

Nagar revealed that the player was headed home to pay the surprise visit to his mother and was returning from Delhi to Roorkee when his car collided with the divider on the Narsan border near Hammadpur Jhal around 5.30 am.

“When he was admitted here, he was critical. But our team responded with quick treatment. We also did his X-Rays, there was no bone injuries rather a ligament injury in his right knee, which will become more clear after MRI reports,” Nagar told ANI.

“There were two open wounds on forehead and abrasions on his waist. There was nothing life-threatening. He was conscious and talking well. I asked him why he was driving at that point of time early morning. He said that he was going to pay a surprise visit to his mother,” Nagar added.

The 25-year-old cricketer narrowly escaped death after his high-end vehicle smashed into a road barrier and caught fire on the highway. According to reports, he had dozed off on the wheel.

SK Singh the Superintendent of Police, Haridwar (Rural) on Friday said:”He was going to Roorkee to meet his relatives. The accident happened because he fell asleep at the wheel a kilometre ahead of Narsan towards Roorkee.”

“Cricketer Rishabh Pant is under the observation of Orthopedics and plastic surgeons. His condition is stable. A detailed medical bulletin will be released once he’s examined. Thereafter, we’ll take the next steps,” said Dr Ashish Yagnik of Max Hospital, Dehradun, where he was later shifted to.

According to photographs from the site, the car was seen in a badly burnt condition.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has wished the cricketer a speedy recovery and said that the state will extend all possible support to him including the facility of an air ambulance if required.

“Cricketer Rishabh Pant met with an accident near Roorkee today. He is being taken to Dehradun for further treatment. All the healthcare facilities will be taken care of. We pray for his speedy recovery,” Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, who was in Kolkata on Friday told ANI.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India also issued a statement on Friday saying, “Pant has two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe and has suffered abrasion injuries on his back. Rishabh’s condition remains stable, and he has now been shifted to Max Hospital, Dehradun, where he will undergo MRI scans to ascertain the extent of his injuries and formulate his further course of treatment, as per the BCCI statement shared with the media.”

According to the statement, the BCCI is in constant touch with Pant’s family while the medical team is in close contact with the doctors currently treating the southpaw.

The Board said it will see to it that Pant receives the best possible medical care and gets all the support he needs to come out of this traumatic phase.

The wicket-keeper batsman has represented India in 33 Test matches, scoring 2,271 runs at an average of 43.67. He has five Test tons against his name, with his highest being 159 not out. Pant also has 119 catches and 14 stumpings against his name.

In ODIs, he has aggregated 865 runs to his name in 30 matches at an average of 34.60, with five half-centuries and a ton at a strike rate of 106.65. Behind the wickets, Pant has 26 catches and one stumping to his name in ODIs. In 66 T20Is, the wicket-keeper batter has scored 987 runs, with three half-centuries against his name at an average of 22.43 and a strike rate of 126.37.