Cricket News: Despite BCCI intervention, Rishabh Pant appears destined for a lengthy spell on the sidelines
Rishabh Pant is, in many ways, lucky to have gotten away with only a few injuries after his horrific car crash on December 30, 2022, that destroyed his car and left him hospitalized
Rishabh Pant will undergo surgeryHowever, that luck does not likely extend to his recovery time as every sign indicates a long time out of action.
For one, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now stepped in to provide him with the best treatment possible.
In a statement released on Wednesday (January 4), the board said they would support him through his recovery.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 BREAKING: <a href="https://twitter.com/RishabhPant17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RishabhPant17</a> is being flown to Mumbai from Dehradun's Max Hospital. BCCI to take over the treatment.<br><br>If required, Pant might be shifted abroad for further treatment <a href="https://t.co/DrTj5cF8k0">pic.twitter.com/DrTj5cF8k0</a></p>— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) <a href="https://twitter.com/BoriaMajumdar/status/1610567385064538112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Rishabh, who is currently receiving treatment for his injuries at Max Hospital Dehradun, following a car accident on December 30, will be brought to Mumbai in an air ambulance,” read the BCCI’s statement.
“Rishabh will undergo surgery and subsequent procedures for ligament tears and will continue to be monitored by the BCCI Medical team throughout his recovery and rehabilitation.
“The Board will make every effort to aid and expedite the recovery process of Rishabh and will provide him with all the support he needs during this period.”
The most noteworthy part of that statement was when the BCCI admitted that Rishabh Pant would need surgery to recover from ligament tears.
Generally speaking, recovering from ligament surgery can take anywhere between six weeks to 6 months.
Given Pant is also recovering from other injuries and will doubtless want to not rush back into playing before necessary; it is safe to say that he will be missing a lot of time – even if it is unspecified.
That is a big blow for Pant, mainly because, as things stand, he is not a certified starter in white ball cricket.
There are a lot of players at least par with – if not ahead of him – in the pecking order. For wicketkeeping options, India can call upon Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, and even Jitesh Sharma.
And while there is a temptation to pick Pant due to his ability, the fact is that his form in white ball cricket has not justified giving him a longer rope.
He has consistently underwhelmed in T20Is incredibly, although his ODI record isn’t too much better either.
This means that, aside from a long wait for a return to training, he could have to wait before he gets to play for India again.
Obviously, this might seem harsh, given Pant was not at fault for how his injuries came about. But the nature of elite sports is often brutal.
In Pant’s absence, others will get chances and could well shine in his spot. If either Pant or Kishan does well, would it be wise to drop either of them?
Especially since Pant will also need time to get back into rhythm, and it is unlikely he will be able to recover significantly before the ODI World Cup.
So even as Pant rests and recovers, he will have an eye on what he needs to do once he is back to get his India career back on track.