Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, the physician who operated on Rishabh Pant after the cricketer had many injuries in a vehicle accident in December 2022, claimed that the keeper-batsman’s mother was concerned about her son’s ability to walk again.
On December 30, 2022, Pant’s automobile collided with a barrier in Roorkee, Uttarakhand, in the early morning. The batsman escaped the life-threatening accident and is preparing to return to competitive cricket in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Rishabh Pant’s mother, however, was anxious about the cricketer’s ability to walk following the horrible tragedy. In part one of a unique video series on the cricketer’s incredible recovery following his injury, Dr. Pardiwala, Director, Centre for Sports Medicine, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, told bcci.tv:
I may not have been able to thank everyone individually, but I must acknowledge these two heroes who helped me during my accident and ensured I got to the hospital safely. Rajat Kumar & Nishu Kumar, Thank you. I'll be forever grateful and indebted ????♥️ pic.twitter.com/iUcg2tazIS
— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) January 16, 2023
The doctor indicated that the recuperation phase normally lasts around 18 months. He, however, added:
“When I told Rishabh 18 months, he said, ‘okay fine. I am going to show you that I can do it in 12 months’.”
Rishabh Pant has been posting updates from his recovery journey on his official social media accounts.
Dr. Pardiwala Recounts Supporting Rishabh Pant’s Challenging Recovery
During the chat on bcci.tv, Dr. Pardiwala discussed Pant’s mental health during his recuperation. While applauding the cricketer’s attitude, he did concede that the keeper-batter struggled when he couldn’t accomplish simple tasks such as going to the bathroom without assistance.
“There’s always an aspect of mental health. On one particular day, you are perfectly normal. You are a superstar celebrated all around. And then, a week later, you can’t perform the simple functions of going to a toilet on your own. You can’t walk – normalcy or hyper normalcy to a state that’s so disabled. I think to accept that sometimes becomes very difficult. Typically, that doesn’t happen on day one or two. That, typically happens after two or three weeks,” Dr. Pardiwala explained.
“When that frustration sets in.. you are still in bed, you still can’t get out, you still can’t do the things that normal people take for granted. And I think that was a difficult phase for him. We had to support him through that difficult phase. We had to keep encouraging him and let him know that look this is a phase that everyone undergoes and this is a phase we will overcome,” he elaborated.
Rishabh Pant attended an IPL match for the Delhi Capitals last season and received a nice greeting from the crowd. He also participated in the IPL 2024 auction held in Dubai.