Nasser Hussain hoping for Pant’s comeback in 2024

Former England captain Nasser Hussain is hoping India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant makes a successful return to competitive cricket in 2024, after being on the sidelines in 2023. On December 30, 2022, around 5:30am, Pant miraculously survived when his Mercedes car collided with a divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway while on the way to his hometown Roorkee, Uttarakhand. He was initially taken to Saksham Hospital Multispecialty and Trauma Centre, before being admitted to Max Hospital, Dehradun. The medical update from the BCCI hours after the accident said apart from right knee ligament tear, Pant suffered two cuts on his forehead, and has also hurt his right wrist, ankle, and toe apart from abrasion injuries on his back. On January 4, Pant was shifted to Mumbai via an air ambulance for surgery and further treatment, under direct supervision of Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, the head of the Centre for Sports Medicine, and Director of Arthroscopy & Shoulder Service, at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri West, Mumbai. Since then, Pant has posted pictures and videos of him being on the long road to recovery, right from walking on crutches to being free of it and doing his rehab plus exercises for being fully fit at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He also attended Delhi Capitals match against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023 on April 4 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi and even met the team during their practice session in Bengaluru. Pant also batted for a very short period in a friendly game during this year’s Independence Day celebrations organized by the JSW Foundation, co-owners of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. Earlier this month, Pant also attended IPL 2024 Player Auction for Delhi Capitals in Dubai and even raised the paddle during player bids. As of now, there has been no official clarity on when Pant will be expected to return to competitive cricket, with multiple reports saying his IPL 2024