Rishabh Pant Tweet: Wicketkeeper confirms 'surgery was a sucess'; Here's what he wrote
Rishabh Pant has taken to social media for the first time since his freak accident and has shared a big update on his recovery.
On Monday, Pant thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), secretary Jay Shah and the government authorities for their "incredible support," while the wicketkeeper-batsman also confirmed that his "surgery was a success."
"I am humbled and grateful for all the support and good wishes. I am glad to let you know that my surgery was a success. The road to recovery has begun and I am ready for the challenges ahead. Thank you to the @BCCI, @JayShah, and government authorities for their incredible support.
"From the bottom of my heart, I also would like to thank all my fans, teammates, doctors, and the physios for your kind words and encouragement. Looking forward to see you all on the field. #grateful #blessed," tweeted Pant.
It was earlier reported that Pant could be out of action for the majority of 2023 and it was also confirmed that the Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper would miss the Indian Premier League (IPL). The wicketkeeper-batsman, who survived a scary car accident on Dec. 30 on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, has torn all three key ligaments in his knee, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.
While there is no definite timeline given by the doctors yet on how long it would take Pant to resume training, both the BCCI and the selectors have declared that the Indian cricketer would be out for a minimum of six months. This could possibly affect his chances of being fit for selection for the ODI Cricket World Cup. The marquee ICC event is scheduled to take place in India in October-November.
Last week, Pant underwent knee surgery at Mumbai's Kokilaben Ambani Hospital after his right ligaments were damaged in the accident. After receiving emergency treatment at Dehradun's Max Hospital, the BCCI airlifted Pant to Mumbai and kept him under the supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, one of the specialist surgeons contracted by the board.
The BCCI issued three medical statements since the accident and the surgery, including one that stated Pant had also injured his right ankle. The ESPNCricinfo report further unfolded that all three ligaments in the knee - anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and medial collateral ligament, which is necessary for movement and stability - have been torn in Pant's case.
It is understood that in the surgery conducted recently, both the PCL and MCL were reconstructed. The Indian 'keeper-batsman will need to undergo another surgery to reconstruct his ACL, but the doctors will wait for at least six weeks before going ahead with it.
Pant was not part of the India squads for the T20I and ODI home series against Sri Lanka. He was due to head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for strength and conditioning before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February. The 25-year-old Indian cricketer last played in the Test series in Bangladesh, which India won 2-0.