Former Australian head coach Justin Langer said that Phillip Hughes could have been as much in demand as Rishabh Pant in the IPL auction had he been alive. Langer’s claim came after Pant became the most expensive player in the IPL auction, fetching ₹27 crore from the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as well.
Pant was one of the marquee players in the auction who entered the auction at a base price of ₹2 crore. With the Delhi Capitals (DC) releasing him from their setup, several franchises went after him and the Super Giants bought him at a record-breaking amount.
Writing in his column for The West Australian, Langer shared, “On Sunday, Pant broke the IPL record for the highest amount ever bid on a player. My franchise, the Lucknow Super Giants, paid $5 million for his services. Not bad for just over eight weeks’ work. If Hughes were still alive, he would have been commanding high prices, not just for his dynamic batting but also for the energy he would have brought the group. Sadly, he would never find out.”
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“When selecting a squad, talent and temperament plays a part, as does character and personality. The last time India travelled to Australia, Pant was a massive part of their success against us. His talent and temperament under pressure were on display for the world to see. At times he single-handedly tore the game from the palms of our hands. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t have a similar impact this summer,” he again stated.
He further suggested that he was devastated at the extent of the injuries Rishabh Pant faced following the accident in late 2022 as well.
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“Since the last time he was on our shores, Pant has faced a life challenge that would break others. A sliding door moment that would change anyone’s life. His luxury car collided with a road divider and caught fire after hitting the barrier. The fire destroyed the vehicle. Severe injuries resulted, and immediate and extensive medical intervention was required. The extent of those injuries was potentially life-changing. He sustained multiple ligament tears in his knee, fractured bones in his hands, and significant injuries to his head and back,” he added.
“When it was apparent he would survive, the next questions focused on the potential long-term impact on his cricket career and overall mobility. Most believed he may never walk again, let alone play the game he loves. Ricky Ponting, a good friend of Pant and his coach in his comeback series with the Delhi Capitals in last year’s IPL said: “If you can even see his leg now and listen to the stories he tells about what he had confronted during his car accident … not just the mental scarring that comes with that, but the physical side and the rehab he went through. It’s a remarkable comeback,” he concluded.
