‘He started screaming with so much pain’ - NCA physio recalls Rishabh Pant’s tough rehab

Star Indian batter Rishabh Pant is right on his way to making a comeback to professional cricket. The 26-year-old was involved in a life-threatening car accident in December 2022 and has been out of cricketing action ever since. 

However, with the IPL 2024 around the corner, Pant was recently given an all-clear by the NCA as he will be competing in the marquee tournament, representing Delhi Capitals as a wicketkeeper batter once again. With his return imminent, National Cricket Academy physiotherapist Thulasi Yuvraj reflected on his recovery and talked of the tough phases of his rehab. 

Also read: Rishabh Pant ‘little nervous’ before cricket comeback

"When we came to know he had an accident, our head of sports science, Nitin bhai, basically told us just to go and take care of the initial stage of rehab, he first thing I could notice, he is having severe pain was when the ward boy was trying to push the stretcher towards the room and it slightly hit the pathway. He started screaming with so much pain. It was a simple jerk but it felt so painful, he cried immediately. Then I realised, oh something big has happened,” Yuvraj said in a video shared by the BCCI. 

The doctors were of the opinion that he may take up to two years: Yuvraj

Furthermore, Yuvraj also talked of how the doctors in the NCA opined that it could take up to two years for the star batter to make his return to the field, but due to his mental strength and dedication, Pant has been able to make the recovery earlier than anticipated.

Also read: Feels like I’m making my debut again: Rishabh Pant

"The mental strength and confidence inside him made us give our 100 percent in doing the rehab part for him. The doctors were of the opinion that he may take up to two years. Once he came to NCA, it was like a progressive phase for him," Yuvraj said.