Following a serious vehicle accident in December of last year that left him with several injuries, Team India's standout wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant shared a video of his journey to recovery on Wednesday. The athlete could be seen using a crutch to help him take modest steps inside a pool in the video Pant shared on his official Instagram feed.
Pant has been posting images on social media frequently to update followers on his post-accident healing progress, but this is the first time he has shared a video of himself walking. "Grateful for small thing, big things. And everything in between," Pant wrote beside the video.
A large number of well-known people have expressed their well wishes to Pant as he continues his recuperation. This included former team India head coach, Ravi Shastri "Keep it going, Panty," wrote the 60-year-old. Fans were quick to react to Shastri's tweet. Although it was meant in good heart, his 'Panty' remark have tickled fans' funny bone online.
Rishabh Pant could miss out on the ODI World Cup
Until the automobile accident on December 30 of last year, Pant was a crucial player for the Indian side in all competitions. The wicketkeeper-batter was on his way home when his vehicle hit a road barrier on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. Prior to being transferred to a Dehradun private hospital, he received initial care at a neighbouring hospital. Pant was brought back to Mumbai in January of this year, with the Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital continuing his treatment.
Pant's return to training has not yet been assigned a timetable by the doctors, but it has been previously reported that the BCCI and the selectors anticipate Pant will be sidelined for at least six months. Hence, the wicketkeeper-batter is probably going to be absent for the most of cricket in 2023, which may potentially include the ODI World Cup later this year.
India's replacement wicketkeepers in ODIs, T20Is, and Test formats during Pant's absence have been KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and KS Bharat.
Here’s how fans reacted to Ravi Shastri’s well-wishing tweet gone wrong:
maybe PANTY means something eles in Cricketing world 🤌🏻😭
— Luna (@howyoudoinnn10) March 15, 2023
Meanwhile Pant:
— ً (@SarcasticCowboy) March 15, 2023
Bc maine boxers pehne hai
Panty kahan, Jockey hai
— Cricket Fan 07 (@Manas_pr_sharma) March 15, 2023
RP after that pic.twitter.com/lFBOSkROYc
— Raghav Chetan (@AntagonistForEV) March 15, 2023
Ravi Bhai ka Hardin Friday hai. pic.twitter.com/urhA963ZP0
— The_Muffin_Man (@rdk_ind) March 15, 2023
— Akif (@KM_Akif) March 15, 2023
— ᴀɴɪᴋᴇᴛ ꜱᴏɴɪ (@AniketSoni01) March 15, 2023
Pant:- please ravi bhai mere video pe galat comment mat karo pic.twitter.com/Yb0V7IxLLN
— Sunny Cricket (@CricketKiBaat18) March 15, 2023