'He was terrible': Ravi Shastri on Rishabh Pant’s comeback to cricket

The former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri spoke highly of Rishabh Pant's incredible journey ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, as he reflected on the star wicketkeeper-batter's miraculous recovery from a horrific car accident in December 2022.

Ravi Shastri recalled the time when he went to the hospital to meet Pant one month after his terrible car accident, and at that moment, the former Indian captain thought he would never be able to return to the cricket field like many. However, Pant managed to get back to action after one and a half years.

Ravi Shastri hails Rishabh Pant's miraculous recovery ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Recently, Shastri described the initial state of Rishabh Pant as devastating, with the young cricketer barely recognizable due to the severe damage to his body following his horrific accident. Pant’s chances of making a comeback to the field seemed just impossible, as he underwent multiple surgeries and endured months of recovery from the injuries.

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However, the left-handed batter’s strong determination and grit defied all odds as he worked relentlessly to regain his fitness and strength and made an impressive return to competitive cricket in the IPL 2024 with the leading Delhi Capitals (DC).

He was battered and bruised, scarred all over: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was quoted as saying by news.com.au: “Honestly, if you had seen him (Rishabh Pant), you would not have given him a hope in hell to play cricket again. I will never forget it. He was in terrible shape. I went to see him in the hospital a month after he was injured. He was battered and bruised, scarred all over. He had a massive operation and had stitches all over the place.”

Ravi Shastri said that it was just a miracle that Rishabh Pant was able to return to the cricket field. However, the Indian wicketkeeper has now not only made a comeback but also won the T20 World Cup 2024 and returned to the Test team as well, and Shastri called it a remarkable achievement.

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Pant is currently gearing up for the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, so his journey from being in bed for months to making waves with his performance both as a batter and wicketkeeper is nothing short of inspirational, according to the former Indian all-rounder.

Rishabh Pant values cricket more after his accident: Ravi Shastri

Furthermore, Shastri emphasized how Pant’s respect for the game has only increased following his traumatic experience and how he now values every opportunity to represent India on the field. However, the former Indian coach said that Pant did really hard work to be able to play Test cricket.

Shastri signed off by saying, “From there to simply recover and play cricket was a miracle. To then go on and play in a World Cup-winning team and be part of the Test team is a truly remarkable achievement. When you speak to him now, the respect he has for the game is even more. He was nowhere. Suddenly he is back, and he values that. But I have seen him work really, really hard over the past few months to get into the shape he is to play Test cricket.”