Rescuing Rishabh Pant: The Unlikely Heroes Who Helped Save His Life Without Recognizing Him

New Delhi: Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant was involved in a serious road accident on the Delhi-Dehradun highway on 30th December 2022. His car crashed and caught fire, putting his life in danger. Thankfully, there were some brave individuals who witnessed the accident and immediately rushed to his aid. Despite the usual indifference shown by many in such situations, these Good Samaritans stopped their vehicles and risked their own safety to pull Pant out of the burning car and rush him to the hospital. Their quick thinking and selfless actions saved Pant's life and displayed the true spirit of humanity. It is heartening to see such acts of kindness and compassion in the face of adversity. The heroic efforts of these unknown saviours deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.

The two people who saved Rishabh Pant’s life after his accident had no idea who he was.@beastieboy07 travels back to India to retrace the steps from Pant’s accident to his return, but also much more than that.

The tale of Rishabh’s recovery, from those closest to him pic.twitter.com/UuzaJBN0QT

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) November 23, 2024

Star Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant expressed his gratitude to Rajat Kumar and Nishu Kumar, who helped him after a car accident and got him to the hospital safely. He called them “two heroes”. Rishabh posted a picture of the two men standing with his mother on Twitter. “I couldn’t thank everyone individually but I must thank these two heroes who helped me during my accident and made sure I reached the hospital safely. Rajat Kumar and Nishu Kumar, thank you. I will always be grateful and indebted,” Pant tweeted.

I may not have been able to thank everyone individually, but I must acknowledge these two heroes who helped me during my accident and ensured I got to the hospital safely. Rajat Kumar & Nishu Kumar, Thank you. I’ll be forever grateful and indebted ♥️ pic.twitter.com/iUcg2tazIS

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) January 16, 2023

Pant said that his surgery was successful and now his “road to recovery” has begun. He also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and government officials for their “unbelievable support”.

Pant tweeted, “I am grateful for all your support and best wishes. I am happy to inform you that my surgery was successful. The road to recovery has begun and I am ready for the challenges ahead. Thank you BCCI, Jay Shah and government officials for their incredible support.”

Pant said in another tweet, “I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all my fans, teammates, doctors and physios for their kind words and encouragement. Looking forward to seeing you all on the field. #grateful #blessed,”

Notably, Pant is expected to be out of the cricket field for most of 2023 and is anticipated to miss several major competitions including the IPL.

As per the medical update given to the BCCI about Pant, who survived the horrific accident on December 30, all three major ligaments in Pant’s knee have been torn. According to ESPNcricinfo, two of them have undergone reconstruction and the third is scheduled for surgery six weeks from now.

As a result, Pant stayed away from cricket for at least six months, which adversely affected his chances of being selected for the ODI World Cup scheduled in India in October-November 2023.