Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant shared his frustration during his injury recovery and highlighted the support he received from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Following a severe car accident in December 2022, which resulted in various injuries, including a torn ligament in his right knee, the 26-year-old underwent an extensive rehabilitation process at the NCA.
After being declared fit by the academy, he is set to make a comeback to competitive cricket in the forthcoming 2024 IPL. Speaking to TOI, Pant expressed his appreciation for his stint at the NCA, which aided him in overcoming mounting frustrations.
“Mostly, I had conversations with VVS Laxman (NCA head) about life in general. There was so much frustration. I used to be frustrated even if someone tried speaking with me. Sometimes, you take it out on people without any fault of theirs. NCA helped me deal with that as time passed by.”
He added:
“There were certain gestures that were very important. For example, I wanted to stay at a house instead of a hotel room in Bengaluru. They accommodated that. These small gestures made a lot of difference.”
Pant also expressed gratitude to the BCCI for declaring him fit and for their support throughout the recovery journey.
“I was anxious waiting to be declared fit. I was trying to get fit before the Test series against England. BCCI and NCA were very helpful. BCCI secretary Jay Shah took personal interest. They didn’t want to rush me to the longest format.”
“They slowly built up the workload. That was the best part of the recovery. You have to appreciate it if someone takes care of you like that. They suggested that I start with T20s and then increase the workload,” added Pant.
Pant will return to captain the Delhi Capitals (DC) in IPL 2024, having been absent from the tournament last year. The left-handed batsman is expected to fulfill the dual role of batter and wicket-keeper for the duration of the season.
“I felt so frustrated that I couldn’t resist treating myself to a good meal”- Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant also discussed his strategy of consuming a variety of foods to maintain his energy levels and mental well-being during the initial phase of his recovery.
Despite being away from the game for a lengthy 14 months during his rehabilitation, the Roorkee native emphasized his dedication to achieving peak fitness by diligently working with a nutritionist.
“I decided to have a blast because when you are on the road while playing, you have to be eating in a certain way to be in a certain physical shape. I had planned it in my mind how I had to go forward and I had absolute clarity about it.”
“For the first few months, I was enjoying myself when it came to food because that was the only thing that kept me sane. I was so frustrated that I thought I can’t deny myself a good meal. There was nothing much I could have done,” said Pant, via the aforementioned source.
He added:
“But later on, I started working very hard on my fitness and nutrition. We now have a dedicated team looking after my nutrition. I gave myself about three months of intense workout. And I know I am strongly built to endure that. I just had to get rid of a little bit of extra weight and nutrition played a key role in that.”
Pant’s most recent appearance for India was in the away Test series against Bangladesh, just before his unfortunate accident. His eagerly awaited comeback will occur when DC kicks off its IPL 2024 campaign against the Punjab Kings on March 23.
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