'Tried 200% but my...' - Rishabh Pant reveals untold story behind World Cup 2023 absence

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant said he gave his 200% during his time at the NCA in order to come back in time for the ICC Cricket World Cup on home soil last year. Pant made this claim while speaking to Times of India in a recent exclusive chat where the Uttarakhand-born opened up about all that happened during his recovery process.

Rishabh Pant endured a horrific car crash in December 2022 when he was driving from Delhi to Roorkee in order to give a surprise to his family. But that wasn’t the best of decisions as fate had planned something else for Pant, his family, and his India teammates.

When Pant’s India and Delhi Capitals teammate Axar Patel was asked about his first reaction upon hearing the accident, Axar thought Pant was no longer alive. In fact, the first few images of Rishabh Pant’s car after the accident were so terrifying that everyone thought, “How did Rishabh survive this?”

Nonetheless, the wicket-keeper batsman has come a long way since that crash and has also received the green light to go on and feature in his preferred role for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024.

Rishabh Pant speaks about missing CWC 2023

Subsequently, after the car crash, Rishabh Pant missed all of India’s matches including 2 major ICC finals – the World Test Championship and the Cricket World Cup. On both occasions, the Indians lost to Australia – by 209 runs in the WTC final and 6 wickets in the CWC final at Narendra Modi Stadium.

While speaking to TOI, Pant stated that he and the officials at NCA tried everything they could for him to be there for India during the World Cup. They tried their 200% but Rishabh Pant’s knee caused all sorts of problems and eventually did not enable him to return. Pant expressed his disappointment but claimed that it also gave him the motivation to push harder for full fitness.

The 26-year-old also learned a valuable lesson that chasing short-term goals is beneficial and it’s as if building a solid foundation for a Test match innings.

“It was very upsetting. We discussed with the NCA team that we will take a shot at the World Cup. All of us tried 200 percent. But my knee couldn’t take the load. That was where I started pushing myself more. When you start giving yourself shorter goals, that helps in pushing yourself. It’s like building a good Test innings,” Rishabh Pant told Times of India.

Rishabh Pant set to captain Delhi Capitals

Yesterday it was confirmed by the BCCI on its official website that Rishabh Pant has got his clearance certificate from the NCA medical team to operate as a wicket-keeper batsman in IPL 2024. That means Pant will also be captaining DC this season for the first time since 2o22.

“After undergoing an extensive 14-month rehab and recovery process, following a life-threatening road mishap on December 30th, 2022, near Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Rishabh Pant has now been declared fit as a wicket-keeper batter for the upcoming TATA IPL 2024,” BCCI wrote on Pant’s medical update.