India’s vice-captain and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has been dominating headlines with his spectacular batting in the ongoing Test series against England. But behind his sensational return to cricket lies a story of sheer survival and resilience, revealed in chilling detail by Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the orthopedic surgeon who treated Pant after his life-threatening car crash in December 2022.
The accident itself was nothing short of horrific. Driving from Delhi to his hometown Roorkee early in the morning on December 30, Pant lost control of his Mercedes on the Delhi-Dehradun highway. The car skidded nearly 200 meters before slamming into a divider, flipping multiple times, and bursting into flames. Pant’s right knee twisted violently in the chaos, and as he later recalled, he feared his life was over in that instant.
Miraculously, Pant and two locals broke a window to escape just moments before the car was engulfed in fire. But the escape left Pant with serious injuries: a dislocated right knee, an injured right ankle, severe head, back, and foot injuries, and extensive skin loss from his neck down to his knees.
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Dr. Pardiwala, who oversaw Pant’s treatment at a Mumbai hospital, told Telegraph UK, “Rishabh Pant was extremely lucky to be alive—extremely lucky. In accidents where the car overturns and blows up, the risk of death is extremely high.” He recalled how Pant’s back was deeply scraped and bleeding from the shattered glass, while the knee injury was so severe that it had torn every ligament apart.
Such injuries often rupture crucial blood vessels, requiring immediate surgery to save the leg. In Pant’s case, those vessels miraculously remained intact. “That was another miracle,” Dr. Pardiwala noted.
“He was like: ‘Nothing is too much.’”
Rishabh Pant’s surgeon explains his incredible journey from escaping a burning car to regaining his place as one of the best cricketers in the worldhttps://t.co/Qlbvpp1Xoh
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) June 28, 2025
When Pant first met Pardiwala, he was terrified about his future in cricket. At that point, he couldn’t even hold a glass of water, and he needed crutches to walk for nearly four months. Rather than make big promises, Pardiwala helped Pant focus on small victories.
“The fact that he survived was miracle one,” Dr. Pardiwala explained. “That his limbs survived was miracle two. If he returned to competitive cricket, I told him, that would be miracle three. Let’s just take it one step at a time.”
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Pant underwent major knee reconstruction surgery and months of painful rehabilitation, slowly regaining strength in his legs and hands. Even Pardiwala admitted he wasn’t sure Pant would play cricket again. Yet through grit, determination, and countless hours of recovery, Pant beat the odds.
Now, as Pant lights up the England series with fearless strokeplay, his story is not just about runs or records—it’s about survival, spirit, and the miracle of a second chance.
