'Pant recovering well, stands up for few seconds after knee surgery'

NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who underwent a knee ligament tear surgery on January 6, is recovering well and was mobilised from bed for the first time.

A report by the mid-day newspaper quoted its sources saying that with some support, Pant, currently admitted at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital in Andheri West, Mumbai, got up from his bed for a few seconds on Tuesday.

"Post-surgery on day 4 (Tuesday), Rishabh was mobilized from the bed for the first time after the surgery. He got up from the bed and with support, stood for a few seconds. He will further be mobilized with the help of a walker and he will be in the hospital for another week. He will require extensive rehab," said the report.

On December 30 early morning, Pant suffered multiple injuries when his car collided with a road divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The horrific car accident happened between Manglaur and Narsan in the Haridwar district in the state of Uttarakhand.

The 25-year old Pant was initially taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre, before being admitted to Max Hospital, Dehradun. He was on his way to his hometown Roorkee from New Delhi and was alone while driving his Mercedes car.

On January 4, the Board of Control for Cricket in India announced that Pant would be shifted from Dehradun to Mumbai via an air ambulance for surgery and further treatment, where he is now under direct supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the head of the Centre for Sports Medicine, and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service, at the hospital.

Experts who treat athletes for such injuries were quoted as saying in the report that it will take at least four to six months for the left-handed batter to get back on the field, while adding that the time of recovery also depends upon person-to-person, required medical infrastructure, and physio.

The first medical update from the BCCI hours after the accident on December 30 said Pant suffered two cuts on his forehead, a ligament tear in his right knee and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe apart from abrasion injuries on his back after the car accident.

Later that evening, a medical bulletin said the results of Pant's MRI of the brain and spine came out as normal. It added that Pant also underwent plastic surgery to manage his facial injuries, lacerated wounds and abrasions.

Pant, who made his international cricket debut in February 2017, was part of the India Test squad that sealed a 2-0 series victory over Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2022. In that match which ended on December 25, he hit a match-winning 93 in the first innings of the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.