Rishabh Pant's orthopaedic specialist says cricketer is ‘extremely lucky' to be alive, reveals first question he and his mother asked: ‘He trained as a gymnast'

Indian Express

4 days ago

Orthopaedic specialist Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala recently said cricketer Rishabh Pant was 'extremely lucky' to be alive following his horrific car crash on the Delhi-Dehradun highway in 2022. 'To be in an accident like this, where the car actually overturns and blows up, the risk of death is extremely high,' Dr Pardiwala said. With a dislocated right knee, injury to the right ankle, and other minor injuries, he had a lot of skin loss, too. According to the specialist, injuries were so grievous that he could not brush his teeth for weeks.
'When your knee dislocates, and all the ligaments break, there's a high possibility of the nerve or the main blood vessel also being injured,' Dr Pardiwala told The Telegraph. 'If the blood vessel gets injured, you typically have about four to six hours to restore the blood supply. Otherwise, there's a risk of losing your limb. The fact that his blood vessel wasn't injured despite having a severe high-velocity knee dislocation was extremely lucky.'
Dr Pardiwala also revealed the first question Pant asked him: 'Am I ever going to be able to play again?' as his mother asked, 'Is he ever going to be able to walk again?'
Dr Pardiwala said that there was a 'lengthy discussion,' including the need to reconstruct the entire knee and then work through a whole process of 'letting it heal, letting it recover, then get back the basic functions – the range, the strength, and the stability.'
The specialist recalled how he was certain about Pant walking again, but not sure about him playing for the Indian men's cricket team again.
Following surgery and a 24-day stay in the hospital, as well as another three weeks in Mumbai, Pant moved into the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where he conducted sessions with physiotherapists and strength and conditioning coaches. According to the specialist, while these sessions initially lasted two hours each, within weeks, at Pant's request, they were extended to 3.5 hours each. The regime included a combination of strenuous exercise in the gym and long sessions of aqua therapy in the swimming pool. The programme had three phases: restoring range of movement, strengthening muscles, and finally regaining balance and agility.
'His recovery was much faster than we had anticipated. He was like: 'Nothing is too much.' He pushed harder than normal people,' Dr Pardiwala said in the interview with The Telegraph, adding that most athletes become even more fitter post a big surgery.
'Rishabh trained as a gymnast – and so although he looks large, he is quite agile, and he does have a lot of flexibility. And that's why he's been doing those somersaults of late. It's a well-practised and perfected move – unnecessary though!'
Dr Mohit M. Kukreja, Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, stated that lifelong precautions after an accident depend on the severity and type of injury. 'In cases involving major bones, joints, or ligaments, like knee dislocations or spinal trauma, long-term care is essential. This may include avoiding high-impact activities, regular physiotherapy, or protective braces,' said Dr Kukreja.
However, with proper rehabilitation, Dr Kukreja emphasised that many patients can regain near-normal function and lead active lives. 'The key is personalised recovery under medical supervision and not rushing the healing process,' said Dr Kukreja.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.